Trapped
by Shadgirl2
Summary: Six years after graduation, Judai finds himself trapped on an island by a stalker. Without help, he'll never get away from her. Can his friends help him before things get really ugly? WARNING: OCs. Rated for mature themes and language.
1. Prologue

**Shadgirl2: Hey, everybody. Sorry about the slow-down with my other two stories. I've been having a lot of issues the last few months, and Midna Azusa just graduated from college, so she's been busy looking for a job.**

 **Midna: Yeah, so we haven't had a lot of time to work on writing duels, especially given that Shadgirl2 doesn't feel comfortable with her knowledge of Ed's deck.**

 **Shadgirl2: So, to hold you over while we try to get things back in order for updating those two, we've got another story we're going to start up! There aren't any duels in this one, so it shouldn't reach any slow-downs.**

 **Midna: This story's told in first-person POV, with shifts whenever necessary. When the viewpoint changes, the new narrator's name will appear in bold on top. Also, spirits talking are in italics and quotes. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX. Ai belongs to Midna Azusa (see her story _Fighting Light and Darkness_ for more information on Ai).**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Man, I get myself into some pretty crazy situations. Probably one of the craziest was the time I got trapped on an island by a crazy woman who claimed she was in love with me. How did that happen, you ask? Well, let's just say, it wouldn't have if not for a certain fiend I know very well.

My name's Judai Yuki. I'm a Duel Academy graduate, though I don't really do much with that education of mine. I once wanted to become the next King of Games. That dream was replaced by a life as a superhero after what happened while I was in school, especially the events of my third year. I won't go into too much detail about what happened, but it changed me a lot.

Six years after graduation, I got a call from a woman who claimed she was in mortal danger. She said someone was threatening to kill her and had tried to in recent days, and she begged me to go to a small island called Isla de la Doncella and help her. So, not one to ignore a cry for help, I boarded a cruise ship headed for the island. With pets not being allowed, I had to leave my cat—who used to belong to a former teacher of mine—behind at a pet hotel.

I thought I'd be back soon.

When I got to the island, it turned out that there was a resort there. Apparently Isla de la Doncella—the Island of the Maiden—is a very popular tourist destination. How did I know this? Well, it was summer, so there were a lot of tourists in tacky Hawaiian shirts and the like. With all the families playing and the people flirting, it was hard to believe that there was anything bad going on anywhere on that island. Regardless, I combed the beaches for the person who called me, just in case she was using the place as cover. After all, with so many witnesses, who would even consider a murder attempt?

She was nowhere near the beach, though, so I headed to the resort nearby in search of her. She had claimed that she was staying in room 6 at the resort hotel. When I knocked, though, the door flew open, and a woman with wavy red hair lunged at me and wrapped me in a hug.

"Judai, darling, I just _knew_ you'd come! You're too much of a gentleman to leave a young lady in need waiting around! You're the greatest, and you _look_ great, too!" she said.

Needless to say, that wasn't what I was expecting from a woman under attack.

I sweat, and asked, "Uh, who are you?"

"My name's Ai, and I'm your future wife!" she said, brown eyes totally serious. "We're perfect for each other!"

Can you say crazy? Yeah, this girl was the very definition. Look that word up in a dictionary, and you'll find a picture of her.

I pushed her off. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested."

"Oh, come now, there's no need to be shy! You'll probably feel a whole lot better after we've spent the night together for the first time."

She grabbed my arm and tried to drag me into her room. I pulled against her, not really wanting to lose my virginity to a crazy red-head, even if the freckles across her nose were kind of cute. I managed to pull away and tried to get back to the reason I was there: her attacker.

"Okay," I said once I was free of her, "let's just focus on why I'm here, okay? You called me saying that you were being threatened. Care to tell me more about that?"

"Oh, that. That was just a clever little ruse, meant to bring you here so we could meet. And it worked like a charm! You're here! I always knew it was meant to be!" She batted her eyes at me, flirtatiously saying, "You know, I think we'd make beautiful babies."

 _Babies!?_

She was crazy, and that was all there was to it! Even crazier than Rei, who dressed up as a boy to get into a school she was too young for so that she could be with the Kaiser!

I turned and ran, planning on getting off this island and away from Ai as fast as I possibly could.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

Hello, everybody. My name's Ai, and I'm from Misgarth! I'm an Aquarius, blood type A, and I must admit, I'm a bit boy-crazy at times. The craziest I ever got about a boy was that time I trapped Judai Yuki on the Isla de la Doncella. Here's how I did it.

After luring him to the island and scaring him off, I pulled out a spell book, not ready to give up easily. No, I don't regularly practice magic, but I learned a thing or two about it in my studies. I looked through the book for a spell I'd seen earlier. I planned to use it to keep Judai from leaving. After all, I'd been prepared for if he reacted poorly to my confession.

The spell worked as follows: it created a barrier around a designated area, preventing any duel spirits in the area from leaving. While that might not sound like it would work all that well, I had done my research about Judai, and I knew for a fact that, during his third year in high school, Judai had fused with a Duel Monster named Yubel for some reason. With that in mind, the spell would work on him because he was half duel monster.

I cast my spell, then headed out to find Judai. After all, he was sure to be curious about why he couldn't leave the island.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

I borrowed a motor boat from the resort's dock to leave. I mean, I wasn't about to wait around for some other means off the island, given that there was a crazy girl there who wanted to sleep with me! I got out into the ocean, then crashed into an invisible wall, which knocked me out of the boat. The boat went on without me.

When I surfaced, I looked to see what I'd crashed into, but there was nothing there. Confused, I kept looking around, wondering what had happened.

Yubel saw something I didn't, though. _"Uh, Judai? What are those doing there?"_

"Huh?"

I looked around and saw four familiar duel spirits circling the island. The last time I'd seen them was during my class field trip in my second year of school. They were the four Monarchs that had been surrounding Domino City, trapping duel spirits in the town.

"That's not good."

 _"_ _Think we should check it out?"_

"Definitely."

I swam back to shore, planning on looking into this. After all, something was clearly going on here if there was a spirit barrier around the place.

When I got back to shore, Ai was waiting for me, and she looked pretty pleased with herself. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"What am I doing here? Why, that's simple. I'm letting you know that you aren't leaving here until you marry me!"

I was getting a really bad feeling about where this was going. "What did you do?" I asked, hoping I was wrong.

"I put up a barrier. It only works on Duel Monsters, which isn't a problem since you're _half_ Duel Monster. In other words, you aren't getting off this island unless I lower the barrier, and I'm not doing that until you agree to marry me!"

Oh, yeah, she was crazy, alright. She'd trapped me to force me to marry her!

"Sorry, but I'm not interested in marriage."

Instead, I turned back to the barrier, planning on breaking through any way that I could. I summoned Elemental Hero Neos, using my powers to make him real, and had him attack the barrier. The attack bounced off, heading back at me.

I jumped out of the way, barely dodging.

As I got back to my feet, Ai started laughing.

"Silly Judai! Don't you know there's a barrier defending the guardians? Nothing you do will reach them. Any monster attack, spell effect, or trap card effect will just bounce off, right back at you. If you don't want to get hurt, I'd recommend giving up now." She looked at me as though she had already won and added, "Come now, would marrying me really be that bad?"

Well, yeah, it would. There was somebody else I was way more interested in marrying—or, at least, dating—so I wasn't about to marry a crazy girl who had trapped me!

"Sorry, I'm still not marrying you," I told her.

"Then you'd better get used to this island because you aren't going anywhere any time soon."

I didn't listen. After all, it wasn't like I'd tried everything. So my powers with bringing cards to life were out. So what? I still had another idea.

I swam back out to where the barrier was, figuring that I'd just try to force my way through. After all, I might have been half duel spirit, but I was also half human. That barrier didn't work on humans, so, maybe, I could confuse it by trying to use my human capabilities to get through.

I swam into the barrier, trying with all my might to force my way through, but it was no good. It was like trying to swim through solid concrete—it wasn't going to work. All I did was wear myself out. Not wanting to drown, I swam back to shore.

Realizing that the only way I'd be getting out of there was to marry her, I decided to just adapt to life on the island for now and called the pet hotel to extend the time Pharaoh would be spending there. After all, there wasn't much else I could do at the time. Eventually Ai would give up when she realized nothing was going to change my mind.

It wasn't nearly that easy, though. Over the next couple of weeks, she tried time after time to get into bed with me. When I woke up with her half naked in my bed one night, I realized she wasn't above using force or stealth to get what she wanted. If I wanted to keep her off me, I'd have to be on my toes at all times.

 _This…is gonna be a really long…however long it takes,_ I thought.

So, yeah. That's how I wound up trapped by a crazy stalker on the Isla de la Doncella, a tiny resort island off the coast of Mexico.


	2. Fubuki's Vacation

**Shadgirl2: Well, hope you enjoyed that little prologue we updated for this.**

 **Midna: Now we get into the meat of the story!**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX. Natsuko belongs to Midna Azusa.**

* * *

 **Fubuki's POV**

Ah, to be rich and own your own island! It's amazing! And it's especially useful to me when I talk to the ladies! Usually I'd find a nice girl and invite her to my family's private villa on our island, where we have servants and a private beach. This time, however, I was bringing along a friend of mine! This August, as the summer came to an end, I decided it would be fun to take my new best friend, Natsuko Tokugawa, to the Isla de la Doncella for a vacation! Not that we would be spending much time on the private beach, most likely. After all, there were way too many ladies on the public ones!

I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm the one and only Fubuki Tenjoin! I'm 26 years old, and, for all the ladies out there, I'm single! As for Natsuko, he's an unusually tan guy, considering his hair's bright orange. On the sides, his hair was cut short, but longer strands covered the top parts of his head, giving him a bit of a windblown look. His eyes are also rather exotic, a startling shade of violet. He has a straight nose and high cheekbones, too. Sorry, ladies, I can't say he's single. At the time of our story, he was, though.

Anyway, Natsuko and I arrived on the island at the start of August. This island belongs to my family, but it's big enough that there's a town on it. My dad lets people live there and visit there, and, in exchange, we get a portion of the profits from each business. We couldn't wait to get started on our vacation, especially Natsuko. He'd never been to a private villa before, and he was stoked to hang out with me on this lovely tourist destination! As is typical for a vacation location in the middle of summer, the place was packed and full of activity. Even from my family's private heliport on the edge of town, I could tell that there were a lot of people.

Natsuko must have been psyched because he jumped out the moment our helicopter landed.

"Well, here we are!" I told him. "What'cha think, pal? It's a great place for some guy time, ain't it?"

Natsuko scanned the island, then said, "Whoa, dude! Awesome! I love it already!"

I laughed. Natsuko's excitement was sure contagious! Meanwhile, a couple of members of my family's staff unloaded our luggage and stuck it in a car to take to the villa.

"Dude, I can't believe your family owns this place! I wanna get a look around!"

"Okay! Where to? The beach is real nice this time of the year," I said as the staff drove off.

"Dude, if we go there right now, we'll never leave. Let's start with the town!"

In his excitement, my carrot-top friend didn't even bother waiting for me to answer. He just ran off, too excited to wait around.

I laughed again. Oh, how energetic he was! Especially given that he was three years older than me! "Well, okay, then. You're the guest, after all." I ran off after him, ready for some fun in the sun!

* * *

The town was abuzz with excitement, as is typical for a tropical island in the peak of the tourist season. Tourists were shopping for souvenirs—T-shirts, mugs, even underwear! Others were eating at the various diners and restaurants around the town. Of course, my favorite part was all of the cute ladies. They seemed to enjoy mine and Natsuko's presence, too, because they kept giggling at us when we passed. I saluted them with a wink and a little click of my tongue, letting them know their attention was appreciated.

What can I say? The ladies love me!

"Man, this place is sweet!" Natsuko said after a bit. As we passed a souvenir shop, he added, "Hey, don't let me forget to pick up a souvenir for my little sis, okay?"

Ah, yes, his little sister! He had told me quite a bit about her. From what I could gather, her name was Kiki—cute little name—and she was an independent little lady who liked "exotic" animals. Whatever that was supposed to mean.

"Okay! What size shirt she wear?" I asked, turning to my friend. "We can get her one right now!"

"She's a small. I keep telling her she's tiny!"

A tiny little lady, huh? So a delicate little flower? Sounded like my kind of girl! I was just wishing he'd introduce us, already. I mean, he'd met my sister, so it was only fair.

I laughed and said, "Great! Then let's—"

"Ugh, you're so stubborn!" a frustrated woman's yell cut me off. Not that this was an unusual thing to have going on, but her next words _were_ unusual: "Maybe I should make it so you can't even leave the beach!"

Then it got even weirder. The voice that answered her sounded familiar. "Go ahead!" answered a male voice I could have sworn I recognized. "I'm still not gonna share a room with you!"

"Huh?" I blinked and looked around, trying to find the source.

"Then so be it!" the woman answered.

The conversation ended there, so, based off how she'd sounded, I figured she'd stormed off in a huff. That was fine, considering it was her conversation partner who sounded familiar. With such a large crowd, though, I couldn't really see them, so I headed toward the direction where their voices had been coming. After all, that second voice sounded way too familiar, yet foreign at the same time. Like it was someone I knew well but hadn't seen in a long time. In other words, there was only one person it could be.

"Huh? Hey, what's up, bro?" Natsuko asked behind me.

"I thought I heard something," I said, mixing into the crowd as I searched for the voice I'd recognized. "Hmm."

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

Dude, that brunette wasn't making a lot of sense. Of course he'd heard something! We were in a densely populated area!

Yo, gang! This is Natsuko Tokugawa here, ready to lead you through the story of a lifetime!

When Fubuki wandered off into the crowd during our vacation on his family's island, I cocked my head, wondering what he could possibly have heard that would be so interesting. What, some sort of ex-girlfriend?

Either way, I followed him in search of whoever it was.

* * *

 **Fubuki's POV**

I combed the crowd, searching for whoever I'd heard. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone I knew besides Natsuko, so I figured I must have been imagining it. After all, what would _that_ guy be doing here?

"Huh. That's funny. I could have sworn I heard him," I said, stopping in front of the library with my arms crossed.

If that _had_ been who I was thinking, what _would_ he be doing here? What, was he just attracted to islands? I mean, every time I saw him, that was where he was. Granted, our homeland of Japan was a bunch of islands, so I guess he'd spent his entire childhood on islands…

"Heard who?" Natsuko asked.

I shook my head, giving it up as a lost cause. "No. It's nothing." I decided to get back to our vacation. After all, that guy had disappeared from my life long ago—along with everyone else's lives. Why would he suddenly reappear now? "So? About your sister's Vida Loco tee. When do you wanna get one!?" I asked, excited once more.

Natsuko sweat, and I started wondering if I had the wrong idea about what kind of a girl Kiki was. "Uh, the day I wanna die, that's when. Kiki'd hate me for that."

Well, that was discouraging. I deflated, a bit stunned. "Okay? Then maybe she'd like a mug instead?"

Natsuko sighed and said, "A water bottle, maybe, but I can't see her using a mug. She travels a lot."

So did she have some sort of job that took her all around the world? Well, it seemed I didn't have a clue what to get for this girl!

"Okay, forget the souvenirs! Let's worry about solving that mystery later and go have some fun!"

Two very attractive young ladies walked by, and I flashed a couple of finger guns at them, clicking my tongue to get their attention.

"Hey, babe," Natsuko said to one, cool as a cucumber.

The girls laughed and kept right on walking.

"So!? What do ya say!?" I asked, eager to get back to having fun.

"Alright! Let's hit the beach!"

I pumped a fist in the air, glad to hear that. "Yeah! Look out, ladies!"

"'Cause the Love Train's coming through!" Natsuko finished, as if he had read my mind. Yeah, we did that a lot. Just like a certain brunette that I had once known and his teal-haired friend.

Without another thought about that guy who had broken my sister's heart, I ran off to the beach with Natsuko.

* * *

You know my favorite thing to do at the beach? Surf. Apparently, though, Natsuko's favorite is volleyball. So we had a fun day of surfing, flirting, and volleyball so that everybody won! When we finished with our volleyball game, the sun was setting, so we were going to head to the resort for a bit more…adult fun.

As I sat in the sand, putting on my shoes, I said to Natsuko, "Man, oh, man, can _you_ ever serve. You are so gonna play on my team next time!"

He laughed and said, "You should see me and Kiki on the same team! She's got a killer spike, bro! We _slaughter_ the competition!"

Now that was cute: a brother/sister volleyball team. I just wished my sister would be so eager to join me in something like that.

I laughed and answered, "I wouldn't doubt that. From what I've heard about her, she's one tough cookie. Think I'll ever get the chance to meet her?" I flirted teasingly, pretending I had a thing for her.

Natsuko laughed. "You know, a lot of people would say you'd be lucky if the answer's no! But I get the feeling you may have already met her. She went to Duel Academy around the same time as you, dude."

Well, that was the first hint he'd given me as to her age. So she was close in years to me, huh?

I stood up. "No kidding? Then I probably know her, alright! No hard feelings, then, if she happens to like me more than you," I said with a smile. After all, back in school, all the girls had loved me. They'd even started a fan club for me!

That voice from before kept me from hearing his response, if he gave one.

"Heck, I dunno. Hope it doesn't rain?" that male voice said. If it hadn't been fairly quiet just then, I probably wouldn't have heard, either—it was that far off.

That comment didn't sound good, so I put a hand to my ear, turning toward the voice to see if I could hear it any better.

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

Oh, boy, this conversation was straying into somewhat dangerous waters. I didn't like talking bad about my little sis, but I really doubted that she was at all interested in Fubuki. If I told him that, though, he'd ask more questions, which might lead to me trash-talking my baby sister! But, if I didn't tell him, he might make the mistake of flirting with her if he ever met her!

Since it wasn't an easy thing to do, I looked off to the side and said, "Ah…yeah, I get the feeling she isn't into you…"

I was expecting him to say something about that, like "why not," or "what makes you think that." Instead what I got was a finger to his lips and a shush. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

Oh, great, again?

"Hear what?"

"Quiet. Listen."

Yeah, sure. Listen for what? Regardless, I listened, even if he was a bit annoying right then. Guess I should have been relieved that his ears had kept me from having to face that awkward conversation.

"Go ahead, but it's not gonna stop her," I heard somebody say some distance away. Not that I had any idea who it was or why I was listening to him. Man, Fubuki could be so weird sometimes.

* * *

 **Fubuki's POV**

Okay, now I was positive I knew who that was!

"…Judai? Was that?" I asked myself.

Now the question was the same as the one before: What was he doing here? Determined to get an answer, I headed toward the rocky part of the beach, the part nobody ever wanted to visit because it was below the cliffs and covered in rocks itself.

"Ugh, here he goes again…" Natsuko said behind me. With that in mind, I figured he wasn't following. Not that it mattered. After all, he didn't know _this_ guy. Besides, I'd be right back.

The resort hotel was to the left of the beach. The cliffs were to the right, just up a rather steep hill. The voice was coming from up there, behind some rocks on top.

As I took a peek around the rocks, I saw a two-tone brunette I hadn't seen in six year. He looked about the same, too, right down to what he was wearing. Man, was he insane? Wearing all black in this weather? He had to be roasting, especially with a jacket on, to boot.

Sitting on a cliff a bit lower down, Judai was still wearing his Duel Academy uniform. His hairstyle hadn't changed, still the same brown hair that was lighter on top and lifted up in the back. And he didn't look too happy.

"How's that gonna help!?" he demanded, even though it seemed like he was alone.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're wondering if he's crazy, right? Well, I can't really say for sure, but he claims to see duel spirits. Since he's not the only one in our group who does, I figure it's either some sort of exclusive club or the truth. Regardless, he was probably talking to one of those spirits of his, seeing as there wasn't another living soul in sight. So it didn't bother me at all!

I jumped the rocks and climbed down to the cliff he was sitting on. "No way. Judai! It is you!"

He looked at me, clearly startled. And why shouldn't he be? After all, he probably thought he'd never see me again. "Fubuki!?"

I smiled, arms wide. Man, I'd missed this guy! Not as much as my sister had, but still. "Hey, man! Long time, no see! How ya been!?"

"It's complicated," he said in that mysterious way he's had ever since third year.

Speaking of third year, _that's_ complicated. Long story short, it wasn't a fun year, and Judai changed about halfway through, going from his usual carefree and fun-loving self to a more serious and mysterious version that really didn't resemble our old friend at all.

Which reminded me…I had a bone to pick with him!

I put my hands on my hips and said, "Complicated? I doubt it's as complicated as trying to keep a group together after _somebody_ abandons them. Especially my sister. Do you know that—"

He cut me off with, "Hey, we graduated, anyway! It's not like everyone _else_ stayed there!"

Well, he did have a point. But, still… "No," I said a bit more sheepishly. "But they stayed in touch, at least."

He turned away as he said, "Yeah, yeah…"

"So what's so interesting about these rocks?" Natsuko asked.

I turned and saw him leaning on one of the rocks as though he were hiding behind it. "Natsuko."

He looked beside me and saw Judai sitting there, also looking at him. "Who's the kid? I take it you know him?"

"Sure do!" I said. Excitedly, I gestured to Judai, adding, "He's an old friend of mine, right, Judai!?"

"Wait, _this_ is Judai!? The guy who ran off the night you guys graduated? And who fought dragons in Italy?"

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Okay, that was a random pair of things for this guy to know about me. Whoever he was.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Name's Natsuko Tokugawa!" he answered. "Nice to meet you!"

Tokugawa… Why did that name sound familiar? I mean, other than the Tokugawa dynasty from Japanese history.

"He's my new friend!" Fubuki added. "I met him in Las Vegas, and we _really_ hit it off! Right, pal!?" He smiled, putting an arm around Natsuko's shoulders.

Natsuko did the same, looking like Fubuki's twin. "You know it!"

Then they both started laughing, and I really felt like I was seeing double. Was this how people felt when they looked at Johan and me?

"Basically, he's to me what Johan is to you!" Fubuki said, smiling way too excitedly. That answered my question. "Isn't it wonderful!? We've _both_ got twins now, right!?"

As weird as ever, Fubuki. "Uh, yeah. I guess. Does Asuka know about your twin?"

"Heck, yeah! She hates him! But that's okay, 'cause she hates everyone who tries to get her to go to town with them! Forget that she's my sister, she's clearly adopted!" He laughed at his own comment.

"I'll say! She reminded me a little too much of my _own_ little sis!" Natsuko agreed before laughing.

…Okay, these two were weird. Really weird.

They finally stopped laughing and, hopefully, came back down to Earth.

Fubuki said, "Well, anyway, what brings you here, bro!? Looking to have some serious fun, too!?"

Right, Fubuki liked to surf. Guess it wasn't too bizarre that I'd run into him here. He probably visited every beach sooner or later. "Actually, I've been—"

He didn't even let me finish before he grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Great! Then why don't you join us!? We were just heading to the resort for some tequilas! Let's go!" Without even asking me if I wanted to go, he dragged me off.

To the resort.

Where _Ai_ was staying.

"Uh, I don't think—"

"This is going to be great! Come on, Natsuko!" he said, ignoring me as he climbed back up onto the hill before running down it and off to the resort.

"I'm coming, dude!" Natsuko called, chasing after us.

I _really_ didn't want to go there. Not with Ai there.

"Fubuki!"

Unfortunately, it seemed I didn't have any choice. He wasn't listening to a word I said. Okay, so I'd just have to make sure I didn't let Ai find me there. Or drink anything.


	3. Bar Fight

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

They dragged me into the resort, specifically into a bar on the first floor. The bar was attached to a diner, so I wasn't sure it was really the best place for it to be, seeing as there were kids in the diner. But, hey, I hadn't built the place. As far as I could tell from watching Fubuki and Natsuko, though, they were in a race to see who could get wasted faster.

"Here's to bros being bros!" Fubuki said, raising his third glass for a toast. "Friends forever, right, guys!?"

Friends forever, huh? That'd be nice. Too bad it wasn't exactly a reality for me. After what happened in the other dimension, I knew most of my friends weren't "friends forever." At least, not with me.

"Aw, yeah, man!" Natsuko said, clinking his glass against Fubuki's.

I have to say, even though Fubuki and I were obviously not "friends forever," he and Natsuko might be. After all, Johan was one of the few friends I still had, so maybe twin-type friends were always closer.

Either way, while they toasted and gulped down their third tequilas, I just sat there swirling my first one around the glass. I wasn't big on alcohol to begin with, and I was even less of a fan with Ai being so close by.

"What's wrong, party-pooper?" Fubuki asked. "Go on! Drink up!" He took my glass from me and shoved it in my face, sloshing it all over the place.

I pushed it away, saying, "I don't drink."

"Then I'll do it for you!" Natsuko said, swiping the glass and downing it in one gulp.

Well, that was number 4 for him.

Yubel, my spirit partner—you could say my familiar, since I'd heard that one in recent years—appeared behind me, sweating. _"Judai? How'd we end up here in the first place? Your so-called 'friends' here are total weirdos."_

A samba song started up right then, and Natsuko said, "Dude, I love this song!"

So he regularly listened to samba music? Okay, interesting… Anyway, he dragged Fubuki out on the dance floor, leaving me just staring after them.

Well, Yubel had a point about those guys being weird. "…I have no idea…"

"Yeah!" Fubuki cheered. "Let's go, man! Time to part-ay!"

They started dancing. And…they were defying the laws of gravity. In fact, they had Yubel staring at them, speechless.

 _"_ … _Wow. Judai? Can people usually_ move _like that…?"_

As I watched, I had to agree. With Fubuki dancing more on the _wall_ than on the floor, they really _were_ defying gravity.

I stared for a moment before I said, "I dunno. But I'm thinking it's time to get out of here…"

After all, they weren't likely to miss me, especially if they kept drinking like they'd been doing.

About that moment, Natsuko's out of control dancing made him bump into a huge guy with a "Born to kill" tattoo and a skull and crossbones tattooed on his arm. He didn't look too happy to get bumped, either.

"Hey! Watch it, punk!"

Everyone in there stopped and turned. Can't say that I blame them, seeing as that guy looked ready to pick a fight. Even I stopped.

"Whoa, sorry, dude!" Natsuko said. "Didn't mean it!"

"Oh, yeah!? Then what'cha gonna do to make me forget about it?" the guy asked, a deadly glare in his eyes as he started backing Natsuko against the wall.

I sighed. "I can't leave them alone like this…" Natsuko might end up in the hospital, after all. "Hey, break it up!" I snapped, taking a step toward the issue. "This is a resort! Not a fighting ring!"

The guy whirled on me, demanding, "What'd you say, shrimp!?"

This guy was, like, twice as wide as me and at least two feet taller. Like that mattered any to me.

"You heard me," I said.

He started toward me slowly, knocking over a table as he did. "Oh, you're in for it now, dude," he said. "You should learn to mind your own business. Allow me to teach you some manners."

Yeah, like I was gonna learn anything about manners from a guy ready to pulverize somebody for bumping him by accident.

It seemed I'd earned Fubuki's attention. He turned our way, looking worried. Whether for me or the other guy, I wasn't sure. "Judai!?"

The big guy with the tattoos—who, by the way, reeked of alcohol—cracked his knuckles. "Shoulda stayed out of it. But, now, you're gonna pay."

He raised a fist to hit me, but he was too big and slow, especially given that I'd gotten a lot faster after fusing with Yubel. I slid under the drunk, dodging his attack easily. He then turned around and brought both of his fists down on me. I sidestepped out of the way, then kicked him in the chest, knocking him off his feet and into the bar stools.

Meanwhile, Natsuko and Fubuki were cheering me on. Guess they were enjoying the show.

"Go, Judai!" Fubuki cheered.

"Yeah! You got this, bro!"

As my drunken opponent was getting to his feet, I grabbed a bottle of alcohol that had been left sitting on the counter and whacked him over the head with it. Dirty, I know, but the guy was twice my size, and nobody seemed about ready to step in. Even the security in this place wasn't stopping this, so I had to take care of it myself.

The bottle broke over his head, spilling alcohol all over him—vodka, I realized after a second—and dazing him.

From the bar's entrance, a loud woman yelled, "Alright! That's enough of that!"

I, along with everyone else in the place, turned to see a woman even bigger than the man I was fighting. She was standing there in a flower-print dress, carrying a red purse that looked ridiculously tiny, compared to her. Her orange hair was curly—you know, that kind that just screams "perm gone wrong?"—and she was wearing red lipstick and heals. What was worse was that she was glaring, her hands on her hips.

I sweat. Great. Was this the guy's wife? I had a feeling I was about to get attacked by a really big woman. As if having one crazed red-head on my tail wasn't bad enough!

The woman stormed over and shoved me aside as she kept going for the drunk. "Honestly. What kind of an animal are you? Hitting someone over the head with a vodka bottle. Kids these days."

She got down and helped the drunk up, asking, "You alright, Ernie?"

Ernie? This guy's name was _Ernie_!? He didn't look anything _like_ an Ernie!

Fubuki must have agreed because he stifled a laugh. "Ernie?" He snickered some.

Even though I was relieved that this woman wasn't planning on fighting me, too, I still didn't like having it sound like I'd just attacked him for no reason. After all, I was just standing up for a…friend, I guess, for lack of a better word.

"H-hey, he started it," I said.

One arm still around Ernie, the woman turned and glared at me as her other hand landed on her hip. Ernie rubbed his head where I'd hit him.

No. I would _not_ feel guilty for defending myself! I hadn't done anything wrong!

"That's enough out of you, young man! Now run along," the woman said, waving me off as though I was a misbehaving kid. Then she turned back to Ernie and asked, "Well, sweetie?"

"Y-yeah. I'm okay, Ma," he answered.

…So that woman was his _mother_!? Well guess that explained the resemblance.

"Now what did I tell you about playing nice with others?" she asked, making me wonder if her son wasn't just a massively oversized ten-year-old or something. "You're in a lot of trouble, young man. Just wait til your father hears about this." She started walking off with him, tossing back at the rest of us the order to "Carry on. We're done here."

So, yeah. That's how my first—and, hopefully, last—bar fight went.

Fubuki and Natsuko came over to me once Ernie and his mom were gone.

"Dude, thanks!" Natsuko said.

"Yeah! We thought we were goners back there," Fubuki agreed. "I mean, the way he was looking at me, too…"

Okay, so I'd saved Fubuki again. Briefly I wondered if I'd saved him enough times to make up for the time that I'd gotten him hurt, but I brushed that idea off pretty quick. After all, no amount of good deeds would make up for what I'd done that day.

"Don't mention it," I said. "Just stop drinking."

I didn't think they were drunk yet, and I didn't really want to _see_ them drunk.

Somebody pounced me from behind, red hair flying over my shoulder and into my line of vision. "Judai! Does this mean you've changed your mind, darling?"

There she was, my flirting stalker.

"Hey, who's…?" Fubuki asked.

"Dude, cute chick!"

"No, Ai, I haven't changed my mind! Let go!" I turned, pushing at her to get her off me. She was as stubborn as usual, making me wonder once again how often she worked out.

"Aw, come on!"

"Uh, 'scuse me, pal, but who's she?" Fubuki asked.

"She's—"

"I'm his future, if he'd only admit it already!"

"AI! _I don't want you!_ " I snapped.

"Oh, but you will."

* * *

 **Fubuki's POV**

As I stared at the scene before me, I didn't have a clue what was going on. Who was this Ai woman, and why did Judai seem to have such animosity for her?

"Okay. I'm lost," I said after a moment. "How 'bout you, bro? You get what's going on?" I asked Natsuko.

He shook his head and said, "I got no idea. He's your friend, man."

"Well, Mr. Stubborn, who are your friends?" Ai asked, wrapping her arms around one of Judai's as she turned to us.

"Since we aren't even friends, I don't see how that's any of your business!" Judai answered her.

Oh, yeah, he didn't like this woman. At all. Even after coming back from Dark World, he hadn't treated anyone like that...unless they were his enemies.

"Judai, don't make things difficult," Ai said, sliding a hand under Judai's shirt.

Whoa! What!? What was she doing?

Judai grabbed her hand as she slid it up his shirt. "Stop it!"

Was I seriously watching a woman sexually assault my friend before my very eyes? Was this a common thing for her? If so, I could understand why Judai didn't want her around. I also had a feeling he wouldn't want to admit it. After all, he'd just knocked out a drunk man twice his size, but he couldn't stop a delicate young woman with freckles from…

It was time to step in.

"I'm sorry," I said. "But are you supposed to be doing that? I…don't think he likes it."

"Oh, don't worry. We're on the way to—"

"To nothing, now leave me alone already!"

"Judai…" Ai said, her tone stern.

Okay, there was definitely something wrong here. But, to find out, I'd have to talk to Judai alone. Which meant getting rid of Ai.

"Natsuko?" I asked. "Weren't we gonna go hang out as _men_ together tonight? I don't think that meant any _girls_ could join us, did it?"

"Right!" Natsuko said, showing me he was thinking along the same lines as me. "So no…whoever she is."

"You heard them, Ai," Judai said, seemingly relieved. As if I needed more proof that this woman was trouble.

"Oh, Judai! You're so stubborn! Well, I guess I'll see you on the beach tomorrow," Ai said, and her tone seemed to say more than her words.

Suddenly I realized hers was the voice I'd heard talking to Judai earlier. Was that supposed to be a reference to their earlier conversation? _What_ was going _on_ here!?

Ai walked off after saying that, though, so I was about to find out the answers to my questions. Hopefully Judai would be in the mood to actually talk about what was going on for once.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Man, was I ever glad those two had been there! They'd gotten rid of Ai easily enough. Even if she _was_ threatening to trap me on the beach. That just meant I had to _avoid_ the resort's beach as much as possible. No big deal, really, since I usually tried to anyway.

Yubel appeared beside me, glaring after Ai. _"Should I?"_ she asked.

 _No, Yubel,_ I told her silently. _Let her go._

"Alright. First things first," Fubuki said to me. "Who was that, Judai? She seemed kinda…creepy. What's going on here?"

"That's Ai. She called me here a couple weeks ago, saying she needed help, but it was just a trick she used to lure me here. She tried to get me in bed with her, and, when I refused, she trapped me here. She says she won't let me leave until I marry her!"

Fubuki looked around, and I wondered if he was thinking what I thought he was thinking.

* * *

 **Fubuki's POV**

As Judai mentioned that he was trapped on an island, yet stood before me without any visible restraints, I realized that this was probably going somewhere that we couldn't really talking about in public. At least, not if we didn't want Judai to get dragged off to a science lab or something.

Natsuko stared at him for a moment, then asked, "So what's she doing to keep you here?"

"That's…complicated," Judai said cryptically.

Oh, yes. Yes, this was _definitely_ something we couldn't talk about in public. We needed to take this somewhere else. It would be bad enough that we'd be talking about it around Natsuko, after all. No need to freak out the entire island.

"Uh, guys," I said as I looked around. "Why not take this some place a little more…private? Like, say, my place across town?"

"Yeah, okay," Judai said.

"Alright," Natsuko answered.

So our guy's night was interrupted by Judai's problems. No big deal, really. After all, we were friends.

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

So a creepy woman showed up and went after Judai, who claimed to be trapped here by her, and Fubuki decided to take this conversation elsewhere. I wondered if it might not be because that woman was here, but then I realized it was probably something worse than that. Something weird. Something supernatural.

Ah, well, I could handle supernatural. After all, my cat was a yokai.*

As we were leaving the bar, a woman called, "Excuse me, sir. But you haven't paid yet."

I turned to see a cute little waitress. She had the cutest dimples I'd ever seen, wide blue eyes, and strawberry-blond hair hanging down to a tiny waist. Her uniform—a tight red skirt and a white collared shirt with a red tie—fit her figure perfectly.

"Oh! Uh, sorry about that," I said. I pulled out my wallet and handed her enough to cover the drinks and then some. After all, a waitress that cute deserves a big tip. "And, hey, keep the change," I said.

Her eyes widened. No surprise, seeing as I'd just given her a $20 tip. "Oh! Uh, thank you, mister…?"

"Friends call me Natsu," I said, winking at her.

She blushed and said, "I'm Lisa. Very pleased to meet you."

"Hey, Natsuko!" Fubuki called. "Ya coming or what!?"

"Yeah, bro! I'll be there in a sec!" I called back. Turning back to the waitress, I said, "See ya around, Lisa." Then I ran after my pals, leaving a blushing waitress behind.

 ***See Midna Azusa's story _Halloween Madness_ for more information.**


	4. Why Judai's Here

**Shadgirl2: So...Midna forgot to put something in last chapter, and I forgot about it, too.**

 **Midna: Yeah. It's okay, though! We fixed it. Basically it's just saying that you can get more information on Natsuko's cat on my page in the story _Halloween Madness_. It's another collab, though it's also a prequel to another story, which, also, is a collab (note that these stories aren't at all connected. The cat's just an easter egg for anybody who read that story). But check out _Halloween Madness,_ anyway, if you're curious about the cat!**

 **Shadgirl2: So, anyway, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Fubuki's POV**

My family's villa was on the other side of the island, so we had a good, long walk. Even though there was plenty of time to talk, none of us really had much to say along the way. No surprise, given that Judai seemed to have a serious problem. I know _I_ didn't really want to talk about anything else right then, and I didn't think we should have _that_ conversation on our way through town and across the island.

Judai seemed much more sober than he had before—and not just because he hadn't had anything to drink. I mean he seemed tense or apprehensive—more like how he'd been the last time I'd seen him back in school. Well, it seemed he hadn't changed much in the last six year, unfortunately. I was almost hoping he'd be back to normal the next time I saw him.

Anyway, when we arrived at the villa, _most_ people would have commented on the size or something. As it was, I took Judai to the private beach and made him wait there. After all, talking privately was only part of my motivation for bringing him here. The rest involved his little girl problem—if she was what I thought she was, Judai would need a safe place to hide from her. Which meant I needed to talk to the servants, who tended to gossip.

I went inside and, when the staff greeted Natsuko and me, I told them all to take a month's paid vacation, offering them a little extra cash for getting out that night. Needless to say, everybody up and left, though I was willing to bet most would be staying at the resort until they actually _planned_ that vacation.

"Dude, sly trick," Natsuko said, grinning.

I waved it off with a smile, saying, "Well, seeing as I have my own money now, it's a lot easier to bribe the staff. I don't have to ask my parents for money, after all!"

Natsuko laughed. "Too true!"

After that, I checked the security system to make sure it was up and running—did I mention we had a state of the art security system that anyone would be hard-pressed to get through? Especially since we had guards stationed outside—and we headed out to get Judai.

I should probably mention, the guards are the only people I didn't send away. They're better at keeping secrets.

Once we were in the spacious lounge—a high-ceilinged room with one wall that was nothing but windows overlooking our beach—I flopped down on one of the two brown couches set up there and said to Judai, "So, details, man. What's happening?"

Judai eyed the windows for a moment as if they were threatening him. Ridiculous, really! After all, the beach was _private_ —you could only access it from the villa. Then he said, "I'm being stalked by a crazy red-head."

That much I'd gathered.

"She's managed to put up a barrier that keeps me from leaving the island."

Okay, now that would explain the lack of any restraints. It _wouldn't_ , however, explain how she did _that._ I raised an eyebrow and asked, "A barrier?"

"Uh…" Judai eyed Natsuko, and I knew he wasn't sure he should say it around him.

Who could blame him, really? It was a startling thing, and even his friends hadn't accepted it without some shock. Why would a complete stranger react any better?

"Dude, it's cool!" Natsuko said without any hint of apprehension. In fact, he sounded cheery. "You can say whatever it is!"

Now _that_ was a surprise! I stared at him for a second. "You really _are_ hard to rattle, aren't ya, bro?"

"Dude, you have _not_ met my cat," he said, his tone…a bit unusual. "Let's just leave it at that."

…I didn't really want to know, did I?

"Okay. You were saying, Judai?" I asked, disturbed, with a great eagerness to get back to a less disturbing topic.

Judai seemed a bit confused by Natsuko's reaction, but more at ease. Well, I guess that was a good thing, then!

"Well, she…set up an invisible barrier that traps duel spirits."

"Okay? And this affects you…how?" Natsuko asked.

Oh, boy… I looked away, whistling. This wasn't an easy topic to discuss, and I don't care _how_ weird your cat is! It can't compare to talking to a man who fused with a Duel Monster in another dimension to save all of his friends after finding out that none of them who were dead were _really_ dead! See!? That sounds weird already!

Apparently, with Judai, "more at ease" does not necessarily mean "willing to talk." Because he gave a lot of thought to how to answer before simply saying, "It does, let's put it that way."

Well, he clearly wasn't interested in talking about it. Understandable, since it wasn't exactly normal.

"Anyway, now she's saying she won't lower the barrier until I agree to marry her. She also keeps randomly showing up in the middle of the night half naked."

Half naked!? Did he seriously say she kept showing up in the middle of the night half _naked_!?

I couldn't help it—I sat up with a start, my eyes popping out of my head. "W-what!?"

"Dude, that's messed up," Natsuko said.

Hell, yeah, I'll say! That's seriously messed up! I mean, he wasn't even _interested,_ so why couldn't she take a _hint_!?

"Yeah, I know," Judai said. "Now she keeps threatening to trap me in an even smaller area, and, at the rate she's going, she's probably gonna decide to just force me to stand in one place or something!"

Okay, sounded like it was about time to get some things straight.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, waving a hand. "Back it up a bit. So you're saying you have a stalker…"

Judai nodded.

"And she's been trying to force you in bed with her…"

He nodded again.

Now for the confusing part.

"And put up some sort of barrier to keep you here when you refused? Is that even possible?"

"It happened before," he said, crossing his arms. "During that thing with the Society of Light, the Four Emperors put up a barrier to trap duel spirits."

"Dude, I think you've left out some details," Natsuko said.

Yeah, I'll say so. I shook my head and said, "Sorry, bro. I'm as lost as you are. I mean, sure, the Light could do some pretty nasty stuff to people, but…"

"Ugh…" Judai put a hand to his head. "Look, the point is, it's possible! And, all things considered, it's a huge problem for me."

"Yes? And how do you know it's not just a bluff if it's invisible? The Light's one thing, but ordinary humans can't—"

"I crashed into it."

Oh. Well, here I was thinking Judai might have overlooked the possibility that she was lying. I mean, he could be a little slow sometimes, to put it nicely. As it was, that was a bit startling.

"What!?"

See? Startling. That was me, by the way.

"Wait, doesn't it stop duel spirits?" Muttering, Natsuko added, "Whatever those are. How did _you_ crash into it?"

"Because I'm part duel spirit!" Judai snapped.

Yeah, he really didn't want to say that. But I wasn't concerned about that right then.

"B-but that's impossible!" I cried. "Ai's only human! Why, to do something like _that_ , you'd have to be—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Natsuko cut me off. "Back up! You're…"

"I fused with a Duel Monster back in high school, and that makes me half Duel Monster!" Judai gave the simplest summary possible for that story. "Since they only take on a spiritual form on Earth most of the time, I call them duel spirits. Alright, Natsuko? And, Fubuki, I don't know what Ai's deal is, but she seems to think she's got magic powers or something."

Oh, I figured there was more than just her _thinking_ she had them! I mean, how would you just up and create a spirit barrier to trap somebody _without_ some sort of otherworldly power?

"And, with that in mind, maybe she does…" I said.

Yeah, I was pretty darn stunned.

Natsuko seemed equally stunned by his own discovery, and I wondered if this topped his cat—whatever was up with that. Judai didn't say anything, though his seemed to be more of an uncomfortable silence—whether because he was worried about Ai's powers or because of Natsuko's reaction to his confession, I would probably never know.

Eventually I came to my senses and broke the silence, asking, "So…how exactly does one take down a spirit barrier? Do you break her wand or something?"

"She doesn't have a wand," Judai said. "I don't know if there _is_ a way to break it. You'd have to ask her, and I don't think she'd tell you."

Well, he probably had a point. "Well, have you _tried_ breaking it yet? I mean, with your powers, surely there's something you can do."

"I tried. Nothing worked."

"What? Is that thing designed by gods or something? What do you mean, nothing worked?"

"Everything I did bounced back at me."

Well, that wasn't good. So he'd tried using his powers on it…and had it backfire, literally? Man, he was seriously trapped here! This...

I suddenly realized I was staring at him and asked, "Can we do anything to help?"

"Yeah, bro!" Natsuko added. "Like, there anybody we should call or something?"

Did he mean besides the police?

"The only thing that's gonna get her to lower that barrier besides me marrying her is another guy she likes more, and then _that_ guy would be in trouble," Judai said. "So, no."

Suddenly an idea hit me! Just because _we_ couldn't think of anything didn't mean that nobody _else_ would have any ideas! Besides, many of our group had this feeling that Judai hated them after what had happened during third year, so this would be a great opportunity for them to make up with him. The only person I didn't think would benefit from this was…well…

She had already moved on. There was no point in dragging up the past again. Let her be.

Either way, I stood up, saying, "Okay! Then maybe our friends can help! They're just full of ideas, after all!" I pulled out my cell and dialed the first one.

"I'll call my buddy Fuyuko!" Natsuko said, pulling his phone out as well. "Maybe he'll have an idea!"

Judai stared at us for a second before saying, "Okay, sure."

Ouch. Maybe he _did_ hate them. After all, he didn't seem too eager, and I doubt he would have agreed if he wasn't desperate.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

When Fubuki suggested calling the others, I thought my heart was going to explode. My friends… I hadn't seen most of them in six years. Then again, most of them didn't really like me all that much these days…and they had a right. After what I'd done to them in school, they were right to hate me. They'd be crazy not to. Some…more than others.

Fubuki waited for a second, then, "Manjoume! Hey, my man. How's it hanging?"

"You, bro!" Natsuko said. "I need your skills in Mexico!" He said "Mexico" with the X sounding more like an H, so it came out "Mehico." He also sort of pumped his hand through the air in front of him, with his index finger pointing. Weirdo.

 _"_ _Judai? Is this a_ good _idea?"_ Yubel asked. _"What if Ai takes a liking to one of your friends next?"_

Shit! She was right, that _might_ happen! And I'd done enough to them already! I didn't need to risk giving them a crazy stalker!

"Yes," Fubuki said. "I said her name was Ai. Why? What's—" He cut himself off, listening to Manjoume, and his jaw dropped after a moment. " _Really!?_ "

"Well, call Kiki, if you wanna! The more help, the better!" Natsuko said cheerfully, waving a hand around like it didn't matter at all who else came.

"So you're saying you'll… Uh-huh… Great! Can't wait to see ya, then! Bye!" Fubuki hung up and turned to me, saying, "Manjoume's coming. Apparently he knows Ai and wants to get to the bottom of this."

Crap. Manjoume already knew her? How? Hopefully he wasn't her first victim… Damn, I couldn't let them call in anybody else! So what if I was stuck? It was better than burdening someone else with my problem!

"You know, this might not be such a good idea…" I said. And, really, since most of the guys they'd be calling were, well, _guys_ , it _wasn't._

Natsuko hung up his phone and, totally ignoring me, said, "Fuyu's coming! And he's bringing my favorite little lady!"

Fubuki got excited all of a sudden, so I guess this girl was somebody they'd talked about a lot. "You're kidding! You mean—!?"

"Yup! You get to meet Kiki!"

Fubuki pumped a fist in the air. "Alright! Finally! I can't wait!"

Well, it was almost like I hadn't said anything to begin with…

"Guys, what if she decides she'd rather stalk somebody else?" I asked, trying again.

I must have been hearing things when I thought my voice was working—Fubuki called somebody else, as if he hadn't heard me _that_ time, either. "Hello? Is this the Marufuji residence?"

"Don't worry, dude!" Natsuko said to me, showing that it was only Fubuki who was deaf. "It'll be fine! I mean, the rest of us are a little less vulnerable to invisible barriers, so we can at least run, right?"

Oh, hah hah, funny. Well, I guess teasing me about that meant he was okay with the weirdness that was me and Yubel. That, at least, was reassuring.

"Not funny."

Natsuko just laughed.

"Yeah, Judai," Fubuki said, turning to me. Apparently he was on hold. "Relax. It's cool. Why don't you run along and get some rest for now? We can handle the rest, okay?" He started waving me off when he said to get some rest.

"But what about Ai? She's crazy, Fubuki!"

Sure, that _sounds_ paranoid, but you need to know what Ai had done over the last couple of weeks before you go judging me. She'd found me in plenty of places where I thought I was safe, even when I hadn't thought she was following, and she'd managed to slip into my bed with her shirt off once without me noticing until she was on top of me! It seemed to me like she had eyes around the whole island.

"Relax," Fubuki said in typical Fubuki fashion. "She won't find you here. This is a private villa! Tenjoins and guests only."

Yeah, and the room I'd gotten in the resort with a deadbolt where I'd pushed the furniture against the door and put Yubel on guard duty should have been pretty safe, too. But she got in!

"Yeah, well, I don't think that'll stop her," I said.

Fubuki held up a finger, telling me to wait. Then, "Ryo! Just the guy I wanted to talk to! Is Sho around, by the way?"

…Great. The Kaiser and Sho. The Kaiser had once given _me_ his stalker, so he was at high risk, and Sho… Well, he wasn't in any danger from Ai, I didn't think, but…there wasn't any reason to bug him about what was going on with me…

"There are guards, Judai, and a highly advanced security system," Natsuko said.

"…Yeah, okay…" I said, still not totally convinced. After all, Ai was sneaky.

 _"_ _Relax,"_ Yubel said. _"I'm pretty sure, if Ai knew about this place, she would have_ already _tried breaking in. Since the alarms haven't gone off, I'm thinking we're okay."_

 _Okay, if you say so,_ I answered silently—never talk to your familiar when there are other people around. It weirds them out. Besides, thought communication worked just fine between the two of us.

"Well, I'm gonna head to bed, anyway," Natsuko said, getting up and stretching. "Night, you guys."

"Okay! Night, Natsu!" Fubuki said, waving a bit. "See ya in the morning! Take Judai with you, too, okay!? He still doesn't know where the guest rooms are."

"Right. Come on, Judai," Natsuko said, waving for me to follow as he headed for a door off to the right.

Well, what else was I supposed to do? I followed, not really sure if there _was_ anything else I could do. You know, besides hand myself over to Ai, which was definitely out.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

It was pointless—I'd searched the entire island for that guy, and I couldn't find him anywhere! After running into him with his friends in the bar, I'd given him a chance to finish with his guy's night out, then gone to find him and see if he was ready to change his mind yet. But he wasn't anywhere to be found! I'd checked everywhere but the villa on the other side of the island, and I couldn't get _in_ there! Besides, why would his friends have been here at the resort's bar if they were staying at a villa on the other side of the island? That was ridiculous! So, in the end, I found myself back in my room at 2 am, complaining to myself.

 _That no-good—The next time I see him, I'm making_ sure _he can't get away from me! I'll find him, and then I'll make him mine!_ Out loud, I vowed, "Count on it, Judai! You _will_ be mine!"

With nothing else to do, I went to bed. I'd find him in the morning, I was sure.


	5. Help Arrives

**Shadgirl2: To the "guest" who keeps reading a story s/he hates and leaving rude, snarky reviews, stop reading. Also, this story's written in _first_ person point of view, meaning that some of the thoughts and feelings shown in narration are _one_ person's thoughts and not necessarily true. Get your facts straight before you flame. Additionally, why don't _you_ take another look at GX, particularly season 2, and tell me why that barrier would have done any good _there_. You're just looking for any reason possible to criticize. If you're going to do that, at least have the courage to log on and do it instead of hiding behind anonymity.**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Natuko's POV**

I showed Judai to one of the guest rooms, then headed to my own. I guess Judai must have had a rough night because he was still snoozing away when I got up around 10 the next day. I headed into the lounge and found Fubuki snoozing on the couch. He must have fallen asleep during all those phone calls of his.

Well, I wasn't about to sit around all day doing nothing! After all, I'd come for vacation. Just because Judai was in trouble didn't mean I was putting my vacation on hold. So I headed off to the beach to see about picking up some chicks!

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

I woke up around 12:30. I hadn't really gotten any sleep, worrying about Ai. Yeah, I know, I was being paranoid. But she hadn't shown up, which had me thinking it really _was_ safe here…as long as I didn't leave. She'd have a chance to find me and follow me if I did.

The phone rang at 1:00. Fubuki was still leaning against the couch, sleeping, so I figured I might as well answer the phone.

I picked it up and held the receiver up to my ear. "Uh, hello?"

"Judai!?" Manjoume answered, sounding surprised. Well, yeah, I was answering Fubuki's phone. Of course he'd be surprised. "Why are you answering the Tenjoins' private line? Where's the idiot?" With that last question, his tone sounded more like his usual—annoyed.

Funny, I thought I _was_ the idiot. That had always been his nickname for me, after all.

"Fubuki's asleep. What's up, Manjoume?"

"What's up? I'm down at this stupid resort of theirs and need picked up, that's what's up! Where the hell are you guys?"

"Uh…like I said, Fubuki's asleep."

"Then why don't _you_ come get me!? What? Is Ai really _that_ scary?"

Well, if that wasn't just meant to lure me out, I don't know what else it could have been. And it was working. That was just embarrassing. I know, women can be tough, but the way Manjoume said it made me feel like a real wimp.

"…Uh… Where are you?" I asked.

"I just told you!" Manjoume snapped back. "At the resort on Isla de la Doncella! You know, the one with _Ai_ in it?" He was pretty heavy on the sarcasm there at the end.

Yeah, he was making fun of me. So, of course, I _had_ to go get him and prove him wrong. Otherwise I'd never hear the end of it.

* * *

 **Manjoume's POV**

Seriously, could that guy _be_ any stupider!?

"Manjoume? What are you doing here?" an annoying and way too familiar voice said behind me.

Damn it, not _her_ again!

I covered the mouthpiece of my phone and turned to Ai, glaring. "Oh. Hi, Ai. What's going on? Get tired of stalking me, so you got another girl to do it?"

Yeah, I admit it—I had Ai stalking me for the last _five_ years! Seriously! Everywhere I went, there she was! I'd only gotten rid of her about three weeks ago, when she'd apparently started stalking Judai! And, no sooner had _she_ left me alone than _another_ annoying girl started bugging me! Seriously, I had a _girlfriend_ and was perfectly happy with her! Why did I need a stalker following me everywhere for the rest of my life!?

Ai looked at me like I was speaking Hebrew. "What on Earth are you talking about? I'm over you! You're too big a jerk for my liking. I found someone better!"

Yeah, I _know_ she found someone else. She'd found a friend of mine to torment! And he didn't need anymore trouble in his life! We'd all had plenty of that back in school!

"Whatever, Ai. Point is that—"

"Juuuuunnnyyyy!" called an overly excited, high-pitched voice.

Shit. _Her_ again. Can't I ever get a break?

I sweat and put a hand to my head, then got back to my phone call, more annoyed than I'd been earlier. Hey, can you blame me? My stalkers were _meeting_ each other! They could share information about how to get what they wanted from me!

"Listen," I said to Judai. "I've gotta go, but you guys _better_ send me an escort ASAP, or else! Understand!?" Before he had a chance to answer, I hung up.

"Wait, _who_ better send you an escort?" Ai asked. "What are you doing here? And is this your girlfriend?"

"No, she's—"

"Juny! I'm so happy to see you!" my stalker said.

Incidentally, she wasn't bad-looking, but I was already taken, and this girl was getting on my nerves. She had long purple hair—today she'd arranged it in a half-up half-down hairstyle. Her eyes were a weird color—orange, for crying out loud!—set in a face of porcelain. There were no markings on her face at all, not even a single flaw on that tiny nose of hers. She gave new meaning to the term "hourglass figure" with how thin she was—probably a size 0 or something.

See what I mean? That description just came straight to mind the first time I saw her. Meaning I thought she was pretty, but she'd quickly turned into an annoying stalker! In other words, she wasn't at _all_ attractive because having her like you was a _curse_!

Anyway, her name's Haruko Ishiyama, and she looked at Ai. "Oh! Who's this? Is she a friend of yours?" She put her hand to her mouth in what would be a cute gesture… _if_ she wasn't more annoying than a fly!

Ai waved a hand dismissively and said, "No, no, you don't need to worry about me! You two are adorable together! So, I take it you're Manjoume's love?"

"No, _Ai_!" I snapped. Seriously! "This is Haruko. She's the new _you_."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean!?" Ai snapped, her hands on her hips. Like she didn't already know!

"But, Juny! That witch is too mean for you! You deserve so much better!"

There she went again, insulting my girlfriend! "Haruko! How many times have I gotta tell ya!? I'm happy with Momoe, so go stalk someone else!" I snapped, pointing off into the distance.

"I'm _not_ stalking!"

"Honey, do yourself a favor: Find a better man," Ai said. "Manjoume doesn't know how to treat a lady."

Doesn't know how to treat a lady!? _She_ was no lady! What the hell did she mean by _that_!?

I whirled on that stupid red-head. "Ai? I think ya got that _backwards._ Or aren't _you_ the one who doesn't know how to treat a guy!? Haruko here never tries to force herself on me _physically,_ at least!" I said, gesturing to her as I glared at that infuriating woman whose name was "love."

"Wait, you do _what_!?" Haruko shrieked, and I was glad to hear that the idea seemed repulsive to her. At least I didn't need to worry about her trying _that_ any time soon.

Ai stuck her nose in the air and said, "Oh, go take a hike, Manjoume! Hmph!" She turned and stormed off. Like I was gonna miss her.

I let out a humph of my own and said, "Good riddance. Now, Haruko? It's been nice seeing you again, but I'm late for an important appointment, so, if you'll excuse me…"

Somehow I managed to keep my tone controlled when talking to her. I don't know _how_ , but I did. That girl wasn't as bad as Ai, after all, so there was no reason to snap at her for nothing. Still, it didn't mean she wasn't annoying. I walked off, hoping she wouldn't follow.

She stood there for a second before I heard her say, "An appointment?"

"Yo! Anyone know where I can find a Mr. Fubuki Tenjoin 'round here!?" I yelled for the whole crowd. Hey, _somebody_ had to know! I mean, it was _his_ family's island!

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Well, that was a weird phone call.

 _"_ _What was_ that _all about?"_ Yubel asked as I headed out to meet Manjoume.

"I dunno. But, if Manjoume knows Ai, it makes sense he wouldn't wanna be stuck anywhere near her."

 _"_ _Okay? And you think_ that's _why he hung up so fast? What, Ai like_ both _you guys at once?"_

I shrugged and said, "I don't know. Maybe something else happened. Maybe Manjoume's got _another_ stalker…"

Yubel snickered, thinking about that idea. Not that I saw anything funny about him having a new stalker. _"You know, I'm gonna laugh so hard if_ that _turns out to be true."_ She snickered again as we headed off to the resort.

Man, if Manjoume had another stalker, that would be seriously bad luck for him.

* * *

On my way to the resort, I tried extra hard not to let Ai see me. Winged Kuriboh and Yubel were both on the lookout for her or Manjoume. After all, Ai's threat sounded more sincere this time than it had before. If I wasn't careful, I might find myself outside in the rain.

Yubel saw Manjoume way before I did, and she tried not to laugh as she pointed him out to me. "Oh, geez. Judai? Look," she snickered, pointing.

I turned to see Manjoume, looking annoyed (but what else is new) with a girl with violet hair following behind. I recognized her, but I wasn't totally sure why at the time.

Manjoume stopped, turning to Haruko. "Haruko. Do you mind? This is a _private_ meeting. No stalkers allowed!"

"But, Manjoume! If you're having trouble with that Ai woman, maybe I can help!"

Well, that was new. Manjoume and Haruko. And they clearly weren't dating.

Before Manjoume could answer her, I walked over and asked, "Manjoume? Who's that?"

He turned and said, "Nobody. Where's that clown at? Still unavailable? What? Have _another_ one-night stand with some random _girl_?"

"Uh, actually, he was up all night calling people. You know, because of my little problem?"

"Really. Great, then let's go see him. Later, Haru. Private meeting to attend." He walked off the way I'd come from.

"Jun!" Haruko cried.

I stared at her for a second, then turned to Manjoume and asked, "She like Ai?"

Manjoume stopped walking, turning to Haruko with a forced smile. Well, that answered my question. No wonder Yubel was laughing—Manjoume had another stalker, after all! And, looking at her and knowing her name, I suddenly realized where I'd seen her before—she was a former classmate of mine back at Duel Academy.

Either way, it seemed Manjoume didn't want to admit that he had a stalker. Well, it _was_ Manjoume, after all. His pride wouldn't let him.

His tone casual and falsely kind, Manjoume said, "Sorry, Haru. This is something you'd _never_ understand. Come on, Judai, let's go already." He started walking off again.

"Okay," I said, following. After all, _I_ didn't really want to stick around here, either.

"Fine! See if I care!" Haruko called after us.

I glanced back and saw her pull out her cell phone. I wondered who she was calling.

"Geez, that girl," Manjoume muttered. Then he asked me, "So? What's going on? Why is _Ai_ so into _you_ all of a sudden? She _was_ into me, the last I knew."

"I don't know," I answered. Hell, I really didn't. I didn't even know how she knew about me! I mean, it wasn't like I was famous or anything. Ever since graduation, I'd been running around the world, helping people out wherever I could. But, while I'd been doing this, I hadn't exactly been looking for publicity. "She just called me here and said we'd make cute kids."

"Heh. That's Ai, alright. Did something similar to get me to come to her kingdom."

Wait, her _kingdom_!? Was he saying what I thought he was saying!?

"Who knew a little Misgarthian peasant girl could be so much trouble."

"Wait, she's a _princess_!?" I asked, totally freaked. If she was from Misgarth _and_ a princess, then she was Ojin's sister _and_ immune to the law!

Clearly I need to work on listening, seeing as Manjoume hadn't _said_ that.

"Maybe," Manjoume answered. "Though she was posing as a homeless and needy peasant girl when _I_ first met her. She wanted me to help her get out of poverty, then she drugged me during our first encounter, and, the next thing I knew, I was in bed with her."

Oh, boy… So I was right to be paranoid, see? She was crazy, and nothing would stop her!

"Geez… Glad I haven't wound up _there_ yet…"

Manjoume turned to me with a start. "Wait, you _haven't_? What? She treating you better than she did _me_? She got me in there _three_ times without me knowing it! Hell, I'm surprised she's not _pregnant_ with my kid yet, all things considered."

Man, if that didn't put things into perspective, I don't know what did. Ai was sneaky and clever, and she wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted.

"I've just been really lucky so far," I told him. "Or you could say paranoid. I'm afraid to eat or drink anything that I didn't get myself because I'm worried she's drugged it or something!"

It was true. I really didn't want to eat or drink anything unless I saw where it was coming from because Ai might have messed with it somehow. She'd tried, too, because I'd had someone bring me a drink the other day in a restaurant, and I hadn't ordered anything. They said somebody else had it sent for me, a young woman. Needless to say, I hadn't drank it. Yubel had wanted me to go find Ai after that so that she could "give her a dose of her own medicine," but, as usual, I refused. If she kept this up, though, she'd make Yubel really angry.

Manjoume stared at me, then said, "Well, that's not fair. Geez…"

The two of us kept walking, heading back to the Tenjoins' villa.

"So, where's this villa of theirs, anyway?" Manjoume asked after a bit.

Well, that was kind of an awkward time to be asking that question, given where we were.

"Right in front of you," I answered.

Manjoume looked at it. "Hmm. Well, it's not as great as I expected, but I guess it'll do. Let's go." He headed in.

I followed, thinking that Manjoume had really high standards. I mean, the villa was three stories high, with more rooms than most people's houses!

* * *

 **Fuyuko's POV**

My name is Fuyuko Iwagawa. I'm 29 years old, I work for the Japanese government (though what I do is secret), and I'm best friends with Natsuko. When he called me in, saying that he needed help in Mexico, I figured he needed bail money. Oddly enough, when he explained it, it seemed _he_ wasn't the one in trouble this time. Either way, with Natsuko on vacation in a tropical area, I thought it best to call his sister and ask her to come. Besides, she could probably help with the situation going on, too.

When I arrived with his sister—a girl with a blond bob cut and blue eyes—we found a man with messy teal hair and green eyes. His skin was pale enough to say that he was from farther north than us. When he spoke, his accent gave him away as Norwegian. He said his name was Johan Andersen, and my companion asked if he was here because of Judai. When he said yes, we decided to head out in search of them together.

I tried calling Natsuko's cell, but he didn't answer. That was fine, though—I knew where Natsuko would be, so the three of us headed off to the beach.

Sure enough, I found that man on the beach. He was on the phone, as I'd expected. Judging from his gestures and reading his lips, I knew he was giving love advice to Haruko. Again.

"Well, Toots, all I can say is keep trying," he was saying as we approached. It was Haruko, alright—that was his nickname for her. "He's bound to notice you eventually, right?"

"You're putting ideas in her head again…" his sister told him.

"At least they aren't talking about getting _my_ attention…" I said, knowing that must be the case. She'd left me alone recently, after all. Though I pitied whoever they _were_ talking about.

Natsuko turned, and his expression lit up. "Yo! Hey! Fuyu! Aki! And, uh…"

"The name's Johan. Johan Andersen. Pleased to meet you, mister…?"

"Name's Natsu! Natsuko Tokugawa!"

"Nice to meet ya!" Johan said, shaking Natsuko's hand with a smile. "So, I'm guessing he's the guy who called you, Fuyuko?"

"Yes," I said, not entirely sure I wanted to be associated with Natsuko. "This is him."

"Great! Glad to hear it," Johan said. "So? What's the emergency going on with my best friend?"

"One sec!" Natsuko said. He turned back to the phone and said, "Haru, I'll call you back. Aki and Fuyu just got here." He hung up the phone and slipped it back into his pocket, then turned back to us. "Okay, so Judai's got a little girl trouble…"

"Yeah. So I hear," Johan said. "Hey, by the way, where is he, anyway? He is okay right now, isn't he?"

"Uh…I dunno where he is. I just figured he was around somewhere…"

Oh, no. Leave it to Natsuko to lose a person at risk of being molested.

"Idiot," Akiko chided.

"Okay? Then where are you guys staying? Maybe he's still there."

"We're staying with Fubuki at his place. Honestly, Judai was still asleep when I left, so he might _still_ be sleeping. Let's go check." Natsuko headed off for the villa, and the rest of us followed.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

"So let me get this straight," Manjoume said after I'd filled him in. We were in the lounge in the villa, where Fubuki was still sleeping on one of the couches. "Ai's put up some barrier that can seal duel spirits inside and won't lift it unless you marry her? Heh. Now I feel lucky! She could _never_ do something like that to me." He grinned, teasing me yet again.

"Yeah, well, she already got you to sleep with her, so…"

"Oh, shut up. So? Any ideas on how to break it? What have you tried so far?"

"I tried attacking it, but that didn't do me any good. Actually, it nearly got me killed."

"Okay? Have you tried using spells or traps to slay those ugly things? Surely they're not indestructible."

"She said those would do the same thing as attacking. I'm not in a hurry to die, so I haven't tried."

Manjoume stared at me lamely. I got the feeling he was wondering why he hung out with me. After all, he wondered that a lot. Sometimes I wondered why he did, too, but I'd always known back in school that he cared.

Come to think of it, he wouldn't have come to help if he didn't still care. Maybe I was wrong about him hating me, after all.

I heard the door open, then footsteps and voices came down the hallway.

"I tell ya, without my Crystal Beasts, I feel a bit lonely. You know what I'm saying?"

"Hm. Can't say that I do. I don't see spirits. At least, not _that_ kind…" Natsuko answered.

"Zip it!" snapped a harsh female voice.

"Let's not go there…" another man said.

Then four people stepped through the double-wide doorway into the lounge, and I recognized three of them—Johan, my best friend; Natsuko, obviously; and Akiko, a former classmate known for her temper. The other one, a tall, well-built man with a mop of blue hair, yellow eyes, and a really strict-looking face, was unknown to me.

"Johan!" I called. It had been a long time since I'd last seen my best friend, and I was pretty thrilled to see him right then. You know, given the circumstances.

"Hey, there, bro!" he answered. "Long time, no see! How you been!? Well, other than right now, that is."

"Great! What about you?"

"I'm good. So? What's going on? I noticed there's four huge monsters out there standing guard. They wouldn't let my Crystal Beasts pass, either. What gives?"

"Those monsters create a barrier that won't let duel spirits in or out."

"Great. And why's it there? Fubuki mentioned something about a stalker?"

"Heh. Not only does he _have_ one, but she's a complete nut-case," Manjoume said, grinning, his arms crossed. "Right, Judai?"

"Yeah, she's got that barrier up to keep me from leaving. Says she won't lower it until I marry her."

"Ouch," Johan sympathized. "So what are you gonna do about it? Surely there's _some_ way to bring it down!"

"I don't know _what_ I'm gonna do about it," I admitted.

"Okay, then let's see… That barrier is able to trap you due to you being part duel spirit," Johan said, thinking of what to do. "But you're also part human, right? So, maybe, there's a way to bust through it using your human side."

Dang. I was afraid he'd say that.

"Tried it."

"What?"

"When?" Manjoume asked. "All you told me was you attacked the thing. When did you try this?"

"When _that_ failed," I said.

Manjoume and Johan were both staring at me, stunned into silence now.

"Hold on, what's this about him being half Duel Monster?" the new guy asked.

" _That_ explains a lot," Akiko said, crossing her arms.

"Uh, yeah… Long story," I said. I really didn't want to go into it again. Especially not with somebody who'd _been_ at the school the year Yubel attacked it.

Suddenly Fubuki shot up off the couch, saying, "Okay! So Manjoume's on his—" He cut himself off, seeing all of the people gathered there, then asked, "What are you people doing here?"

Manjoume looked at the new guy and said, "And who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Fuyuko Iwagawa, Natsuko's friend," the man with blue hair said. "He called me for help, and I brought along a guest."

"Yo, Tenjoin," Akiko said, waving a bit.

"Akiko! What a surprise! Who knew you knew these guys!" Fubuki said.

"Sadly, I do."

"Aw, come on, Kiki!"

"Don't _call_ me that!"

Fubuki's eyes bugged out. "Wait, _you're_ Kiki!? You sure!?"

"Unfortunately so. And _do not call me 'Kiki!'_ Got it!?"

"…Wow… I do not see the family resemblance… That's so weird, bro…" he said, stunned.

Natsuko laughed. "Trust me, bro! It's there! Somewhere…"

"Uh, as interesting as this all is, can we please get back to the matter at hand?" Johan asked. "How are we gonna help Judai? Any ideas?"

"Don't look at me," Manjoume said. "When Ai gets hooked on a guy, nothing stops her until she finds another guy to love."

Eying Natsuko, Akiko said, "I see good bait."

"Whoa! Not cool, sis!"

"You're right. She's probably smarter than that."

"Well, we _could_ try talking to her! Maybe she'll slip up and tell us how to undo it. What do you think, guys?" Fubuki said.

Me? I thought it was a dumb idea! Why would she ever tell us that? She wasn't _that_ loose-lipped!

"It might work," Fuyuko said.

"Yeah! Especially if one of _us_ does it, Fubuki!" Natsuko added.

Fubuki closed his eyes and waved his arms in front of him, grinning. "Oh, no. I couldn't possibly. She's more your speed, bro. Why don't you do it?"

"Dude!"

"He's right," Akiko said.

"There's nobody better for the job," Fuyuko agreed.

"Besides," they both said, lame looks on their faces, "you've got an immediate out if she gets too clingy."

Natsuko sweat. "Right… _That_ little card…"

What little card?

"So, you think it'll work?" Johan asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Natsuko reluctantly agreed.

Okay… Well, that wasn't exactly the smartest idea ever.

"Uh, is that really a good idea? Won't _you_ have a stalker then?"

"Aw, I've got a quick fix for that one! Like they said."

Maybe I should ask Akiko later.

"Yeah! It's awesome, too! Wait til you see it!" Fubuki said. Then he grabbed Natsuko around the neck and started whispering. "So, what _is_ your trump card, anyway, bro? It better be something good."

"Uh…I'm not telling. Aki hates me enough for it as it is."

Well, _that_ was weird. And it explained Akiko's way of saying it, too. Yeah, I'd have to ask about that later.

Fubuki sighed. "Fine. Have it your way. But you better tell me someday, alright? Bros being bros and all."

If not for that fusion improving my hearing, I probably wouldn't have heard any of that. Might as well just pretend I didn't.

"Then it's decided, then," Johan said. "Natsuko will talk to this Ai girl. Here's hoping he can get the info out of her."

"If he can't, he owes me a million bucks," Fuyuko said, his arms crossed.

Akiko took it a step farther, saying, "If he can't, he owes _me_ a house in Europe."

I got the feeling she wasn't talking just a regular old house, either.

"Gee, guys, thanks," Natsuko said, looking a bit annoyed. I can't really blame him—that wasn't exactly the best area for your friends and family to have such faith in you, after all.

Yubel seemed just as surprised and disturbed by all this as she could be. _"I don't want to know, do I?"_

 _Somehow, I don't think so._

"Well, then, what are you waiting for!?" Manjoume demanded. "If you've got the balls to go out there and talk to Ai, then get going already! We need to get this over with before something irreversible happens!"

"Right! I'm on it!" Natsuko said before running out.

I still didn't think this plan would work.

 _"_ _Huh. Think he'll be able to get answers out of her? She's pretty smart, after all."_

 _Let's hope he can._

"Fifty bucks he comes back with a new girlfriend," Akiko said lamely.

" _I'm_ not taking that bet! That's a loss just waiting to happen," Fuyuko said.

"Yeah? Well, _I'm_ betting 1,000 bucks that Ai falls for him next," Manjoume said. "He seems like her type."

"Oh! I hope not," Fubuki worried. "That girl's pretty crazy, after all."

"So's Natsu," Akiko said. "They'll hit it off great."

"Or he'll meet a girl on the way to or from the resort and maybe actually make that trump card of his true at last," Fuyuko said without really seeming to believe it.

So his trump card involved a girl. What? Was he always saying he was married?

Akiko burst out laughing, as though that was the best joke ever told. "Yeah, right!"

"Wow. Heh. Better get yourself ready for a wedding, then," Manjoume said, grinning at me. "Sounds like this plan's doomed to failure."

I sweat. "Thanks…"


	6. Sho's Here!

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX. Midna Azusa claims ownership of Natsuko, Fuyuko, Akiko, Haruko, and Ai.**

 **WARNING: Season 2 spoilers.**

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

So, okay, I was heading for the resort when, passing the airport, I heard a little kid yell, "Alright! Where's this Ai girl!? She's gonna pay _dearly_ for treating my Aniki this way!"

"Whoa, wonder who _that_ is?" I said, though I had a guess. Seeing as he mentioned Ai and said she was mistreating his aniki, I figured Judai must have a little brother. He must have been _way_ younger than him, based on the kid's voice. Sounded like a cute kid.

Either way, I headed over to see what was going on. Seeing as Ai was mentioned, I figured that they were here to help, Judai, no matter who they were.

In front of the airport, I saw a little guy with blue hair and glasses, wearing a deep blue trench coat, a duel disk, and black boots. Not the best outfit to be wearing on a tropical island in August. I mean, come on! Talk about a death wish. Even better, he didn't have any luggage. Granted, maybe his folks had that, but still.

The kid looked like he was about 12 years old, but he wasn't alone. There were three other men with him, too. One was a dude about my age I recognized—he was a fellow pro duelist, Kaiser Ryo Marufuji. We'd never met personally, but everyone in the Pro Leagues knew who he was. The second was a dark-skinned guy with dreadlocks. Both of them were dressed a lot more reasonably in T-shirts, shorts, and sandals, and they had luggage with them. And the third one was a tall, well-built man with a bandage over one eye, a cowboy hat on his head (okay, I can deal with that, seeing as it would keep the sun off his head), a short sleeve button-down shirt, shorts, and sandals. Even better, though, he had the most epic accessory ever! There was a freaking life-sized crocodile _strapped to his back_! Akiko would _love_ this! Granted, _I_ didn't, but still.

Honestly, though, creepier than the crocodile was the little kid, who had a look to kill on his face.

"Sho, calm down," the Kaiser said, looking a bit worried and a whole lot embarrassed. "You shouldn't go rushing into this."

The furious kid didn't seem to notice, though—he looked pretty monstrous, with fangs in his mouth and wild eyes giving off a devilish glare. I had the feeling murder wasn't beyond him. Hopefully he wasn't actually planning to _do_ that, though. I mean, it wouldn't end well if he did.

"Yeah, Marufuji-senpai," the guy with the dreads said. He looked worried, too, but not as embarrassed.

Whoa, wait! _Senpai!?_ This kid was _older_ than him!?

"'Cause I'm pretty sure that anyone who can trap our Aniki like this is a lot tougher than you."

The little guy—who, apparently, _wasn't_ a kid—turned his deadly glare on his younger companion and demanded, "And what's _that_ supposed to mean, Kenzan!?"

His friend Kenzan cringed under that glare, his hands flying up to ward off the evil that was this younger Marufuji. Come to think of it, the Kaiser had a younger brother named Sho… Oh, wow. Damn, the television made him look a whole lot older. Also, why was he acting like this? Did he have some sort of split personality or something?

Strangely enough, the crocodile wasn't phased. At first, I thought it was because it wasn't alive. Then it let out a sigh, and I knew it _was_ live. That dude had brought a live _crocodile_ with him, strapped to his back! How the hell did he get _that_ past airport security!? Yeah, I totally had to introduce him to my little sis. She'd _love_ this guy! She might actually start dating somebody for once!

I couldn't help myself. I had to say something.

I walked over as the small Marufuji started yelling at Kenzan, but I wasn't interested in them right then.

"Whoa!" I said to the black-haired crocodile-wrangler. "Dude, is that a crocodile!?"

The guy with the crock turned to me as Sho Marufuji and Kenzan kept yelling at each other, glaring in each other's faces. "Yes," the guy said, and he have a very heavy Australian accent. Well, I could dig that. "Who are you, mate?"

"The name's Natsuko Tokugawa, and I couldn't help but overhear you guys talking about Ai?"

That must have been the keyword to making Sho blow up because he whirled on me with his evil eyes. "What!? You know Ai!? Where is she!?" he bellowed, getting up in my face.

"Dude," I said, leaning back. "I don't _know_ where she is! I'm looking for her, too! For a pal!"

"Oh, _really_? And why should I believe you know anything abou—"

Kenzan grabbed him and pulled him back, covering his mouth. The guy was sweating and looking nervous, and Sho was flailing around as he tried to get loose. His duel disk slipped off his arm, so the Kaiser bent down and picked it up.

"Easy, Marufuji-senpai," Kenzan said. "Calm down. I'm sure Aniki's okay, okay? Ai may have him trapped here, but that don't mean she's hurting him or anything."

The Kaiser was sweating, looking embarrassed in an annoyed sort of way. He looked more like how Fuyuko always looked when I embarrassed him. Made sense, given that his little brother was squirming and complaining, even though his voice was muffled.

"Don't mind him," the Kaiser said. "He's just worried about his friend, is all. I'm Ryo Marufuji. Pleased to meet you."

Dang, if he thought he needed any sort of introduction, he was way wrong. I already knew who he was; though, obviously, I was unknown. Wow, what did that say about my career as a pro?

Sho's struggling finally freed his mouth, and he said, "Kenzan! Let go already! We've gotta find Ai!"

"I take it you're Judai's friends," I said.

"That's right, mate," said the crocodile guy. "The name's Jim Cook. You know Judai?"

"Yeah, and HE'S FINE." I yelled those last two words for Sho's sake.

Sho froze, and he was quiet for a moment as he gave me a blank look. Though he'd almost managed to break out of Kenzan's grip.

"He's staying at Fubuki's place," I told him.

Sho's eyes lit up in excitement. Ah, well, better that than the monster look. Still, it was really making me wonder if he had some sort of a personality issue. "Wha!? Really!?"

Kenzan put him down and walked over to me, saying, "Natsuko, was it? I'm Kenzan, one of Judai's old roommates. Do you think you can take us to him before Sho here blows a gasket?" He hitched a thumb at Sho, looking nervous.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! _What!?_

The Kaiser sweat, closing his eyes. It seemed he totally agreed with Kenzan. "Yes. Please. I don't wanna see that, either."

"You mean he _hasn't_?" I asked, horrified. Here I'd thought he already _had_ blown a gasket, and they were saying he hadn't yet! What did he do when he _had_!?

The three of them shook their heads in unison. Actually, the _four_ of them—I swear that crocodile's head shook, too.

Sho moved forward, cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling, "AI! Where are you!? You've got some explaining to do!"

Damn! No, I did _not_ need to see him blow a gasket.

"How about I take you to see your friend, Sho?" I suggested. After all, this was urgent!

Sho glared at me for a minute before crossing his arms, pouting. "Fine." He pointed at me, his glare trained on me again, and added, "But he _better_ be safe or—"

Kenzan scooped him up again and covered his mouth once more, sweating and laughing awkwardly. Sho started squirming again. "That's great, Marufuji-senpai. Well, are we going or not? Guys?" Looking nervous, he looked around at the others. I can't blame him for those nerves—he _was_ holding the crazy Marufuji again.

"Let's go," the Kaiser said. "Well, Natsuko?"

They all turned to me, Kenzan looking anxious and all of them exhausted. Man, Sho must have been acting like this the whole way here. This guy totally matched Fubuki's description of his crazy classmate. He _had_ to be him!

"Follow me!" I said, running off.

The other three followed me. I say three because Kenzan was still carrying Sho, so Jim had Kenzan's bag now.

Man, this guy was scarier than my little sister!

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Manjoume really has a thing for taunting people, especially when he has an easy target. Ever since Natsuko had left, he'd been talking about Ai and how I was probably gonna end up married to her, a big grin on his face. For crying out loud, I had some weird friends!

Need some proof? Here's part of our conversation:

"And do you promise to love, honor, and cherish Ai for as long as you both shall live?" he asked me, pretending he was a minister at a wedding or something as he sat beside me on one of the couches.

See what I mean? Weird friends. Why did I hang out with this guy? …Wow. That was a new one. Normally _he_ was the one who wondered that!

"I promise to throw you in the ocean if you don't zip it!" I snapped, glaring at him. Hey, I was sick of hearing it. "What about you and that other girl, Haruko?" I asked, trying to turn the tables on him. I mean, he didn't have any right to tease me about a stalker when he had one himself, right?

"Oh, crap…" Akiko muttered, and I suddenly remembered they were best friends back in high school. At least, they'd almost always been together, so I figured they were close.

"He said 'Haruko,'" Fuyuko muttered.

So, what, they both knew her that well?

Manjoume gave a humph, crossing his arms and glaring. "Nothing, compared to Ai. Face it, the girl's crazy and probably torturing that poor friend of yours for even asking that. So why not go over your vows? It's obvious that's what's gonna happen."

"I'm not marrying her!"

"That may not be possible if she _does_ get you in bed with her. Don't you know the law in Misgarth?"

Oh, I knew the law in Misgarth, alright! I'd been there a couple of times since graduation—great place, by the way—and once found myself dealing with a girl who said she needed help finding her fiancé, a guy who'd had a one night stand with her and gotten her pregnant. She'd told me the law then: If a man impregnates a Misgarthian woman, he must marry her upon penalty of execution. It used to be that you had to marry any girl you had sex with, but they loosened the law slightly for modern times, which was good for Manjoume. The reason for the execution, supposedly, was for stealing her innocence and leaving her to raise a child alone.

Needless to say, most people in Misgarth made sure that they actually liked a girl or used protection.

"She's not gonna _get_ me in bed with her!" I snapped. "Now why don't you go get drunk and sleep with a stalker, Manjoume?"

He stood up, glaring. Guess I'd gone too far. "Look. That only happened because _Ai's_ sneakier than a _cat_ , so there's _no way to avoid her for long_! Sooner or later, she _will_ outsmart you, and _then_ you may have no _choice_ but to marry her! Depending on what the tests show, that is!"

Fubuki leaned away, looking nervous, and said, "I sense tension…"

I just sat there, thinking about that for a bit. If that was true, then… "I need a doctor. Stat."

After all, if I wasn't _able_ to impregnate anybody, then I _couldn't_ impregnate Ai. Granted, I'd never have kids, but it wasn't looking like I'd ever find a girl and settle down, anyway. You know, given that I never stuck around long enough to get to know one, and the only girl I liked wasn't interested.

"Now, calm down, guys," Johan said, trying to reassure me. "We don't know yet that this plan _will_ fail! Let's just wait for Natsuko to return, okay? Surely it's not as bad as you think."

"Yeah, calm down," Akiko agreed. "If anybody can get that info out of that girl, it's my idiot brother. He makes _this_ guy," she hitched a thumb at Fubuki, "look tame."

Fubuki stood up, his eyes bright. "Yeah, no worries! Why, I bet he's on his way over here right now with the good news!"

Okay. Okay, they were right. No need to do anything rash—yet.

Suddenly somebody knocked on the front door. Fubuki hurried over to get it, his eyes closed as he said, "See, what did I tell ya? He's—" When he opened the door, he cut himself off, staring.

Natsuko was back, but he'd brought more people with him, judging from what little I could see past Fubuki. Meaning he probably hadn't even talked to Ai yet.

"Back with a fresh load of reinforcements…" he finished, sweating, as he stepped aside and let whoever it was in.

"Aniki!" Sho's voice called. "You there!?"

He came running in, looking anxious…and poorly dressed. I mean, I'd watched him duel on TV before, and that was the outfit he wore for _that_. It wasn't really a good idea on an island off the coast of Mexico. I got the feeling he'd been dueling right before he got the call… Had he even bothered finishing the duel, or had he just said he had to go and run off in the middle of a match? He didn't even have any luggage, for crying out loud!

"He was gonna blow a gasket, though I thought he already _did_!" Natsuko said. "Anyway, I'm off to find Ai!" With that, he ran off, disappearing just as fast as he could.

When Sho saw me, he lunged, looking as happy as if he'd just been reunited with someone he'd thought was dead. And I should know—I'd seen that before, after all. "Aniki! It's you! It's really you! I've missed you so much!" he cried, wrapping me in a hug.

"Oof!" I said on impact. Yeah, he hit me that hard. "Hey, Sho! Good to see you!"

"Yeah, you, too!" Still smiling, he slapped me across the face. Then he glared at me, pointing a finger at me as he said, " _That's_ for taking off like that!"

As he said that, the Kaiser, Jim, and Kenzan all came in, carrying their things and…Sho's duel disk. Yeah, he came straight from work.

Sho hugged me again, holding on tight, and said, "Man I've missed you! How've you been?" He looked up at me, smiling again.

Sheesh, talk about a dramatic mood swing!

"…Uh, fine," I told him, a bit stunned. Hey, can you blame me? In under a minute, I was hugged, slapped, and hugged again by Sho!

Kenzan walked over, laughing, and put his suitcase down. "Ah, Marufuji-senpai. You really _weren't_ kidding when you said you'd kill him for leaving like that. Be glad that's _all_ he did, Aniki. He threatened to do more."

Man, was I wrong about the whole people-hating-me thing when it came to Sho! And that was twice now! Maybe I was just wrong about them all? That'd be great. I mean, it wasn't like I _wanted_ all of my friends to hate me. And Kenzan obviously still cared, too, or he wouldn't be here. Jim, even—a guy with every right to hate me after what I'd personally done to him—even _he'd_ shown up! Maybe I was wrong about how my friends' felt about me, after all.

With that in mind, I was thinking I might actually be able to tell _her_ how I felt about her. After all, she should be coming soon, too, right? Fubuki had called everyone, from the looks of things, so she probably knew what was going on and, if she still cared, would be on her way. I mean, why wouldn't he call his little sister?

Sho let go of me, crossing his arms. "Yeah, well. Hmph."

Real great defense, Sho. That justified everything. Man, I'd missed this guy! It was good to know he still cared about me. I'd never been so happy to be wrong. Well, except for that time when I'd thought they were all dead.

Kenzan laughed.

The Kaiser put his bag down and, walking over, sat Sho's duel disk on the glass coffee table in the middle of the room. "So, Judai? Word on the street's that you have a stalker who won't let you go until you marry her. Is that true?"

"Unfortunately."

As if hell-bent on proving me wrong in every way, Sho looked ready for a search and destroy mission, a real nasty glare on his face. Okay, okay, I get it, he cared, okay!? "Great. Know where I can find her, then? I'll kick her—"

Kenzan scooped him up, pushing down on his head as he said, "Uh, what Marufuji-senpai means to say is we _all_ wanna get her back for this, but we need a GOOD, SOLID PLAN first! RIGHT?" He yelled and glared at Sho when he got to the part about a plan.

"But—"

"I _said_ , am I _right_?" Kenzan asked, glaring just as fiercely as Sho had been earlier. Geez, how long had Sho been acting like this?

Sho calmed down, looking nervous. "R-right," he said, laughing awkwardly.

Kenzan let him go, crossing his arms in annoyance. Seriously, how long _had_ Sho been doing this? "Good."

"So what's the plan, mate?" Jim asked as he let Karen down from his back.

Karen grabbed Jim's duffel bag and dragged it back to the hallway in the back of the room, toward the guest rooms. Guess she was claiming one for Jim.

"Natsuko's supposed to find Ai and get her to tell him how to lower the barrier," I filled the new arrivals in.

"I'm sorry," the Kaiser said. "But do you guys really think that's going to work? Why would your captor ever tell anyone how to free you? You might want to think of something else."

Yeah, okay. That was what I was thinking in the first place. Damn it!

Manjoume nudged me in the side, humming the bridal march as he did.

"My brother's like Fubuki," Akiko said. "Knowing him, he'll get her loving him and even voluntarily sleep with her sometime during the course of this plan."

Okay. That was bad. That was _real_ bad. Who was this guy again? And why were we sending him out on this mission?

"It's difficult for any woman to keep information from Natsuko," Fuyuko added. "And, when I say difficult, I mean only Akiko here has ever successfully done so, and she doesn't count because she's his sister."

Manjoume crossed his arms and said, "Yeah. But he's never dealt with Ai before. Trust me. She's one of a kind."

"Great. Maybe they'll hit it off," Akiko said, and I was a bit startled to realize she was serious.

 _Is Natsuko really_ that _bad?_ I wondered.

"Speaking of, Manjoume-senpai, are you still being stalked by someone?" Kenzan asked. "I mean, first it was Ai, then it was—"

"Kenzan!" Manjoume snapped, glaring at him. Yeah, I was right earlier—he wanted to keep it a secret, at least from me. It seemed Kenzan knew, though. Wonder why that was. I mean, Manjoume wasn't really one to openly discuss something like that, right?

"What? It's an honest question," Kenzan asked, looking totally surprised.

Manjoume was just glaring at him, his teeth clenched.

"Who?" I asked. "Who was it? Haruko? Because she's on the island."

Akiko smacked herself in the face. Can't say that I blamed her, considering this was her best friend we were talking about.

Fuyuko got up, saying, "Excuse me." Then he started for the door, and I had the feeling he was leaving. What? Why would he be leaving because I said Haruko was on the island? Was he afraid of her, for some reason?

How many of the guys on this island had issues with crazy women?

Teeth still clenched, Manjoume started shaking with rage. "Say, Kenzan, how's that _doll_ friend of yours? You know. The one named Alice?"

Ah, yes, Alice. That was a long story. To summarize, during my second year of high school, a doll spirit had gone looking for revenge, and Kenzan had fallen in love with her.

Kenzan sweat, looking a bit embarrassed. Easy to understand since he _did_ have a crush on a doll. Besides, Akiko hadn't been in on that one, and Fuyuko obviously hadn't.

"L-let's not bring that up please! We don't need anyone here knowing that—"

"You had a _thing_ with a living _doll_?" Manjoume finished for him.

Well. Clearly Manjoume was pretty ticked off with Kenzan, all things considered.

Fuyuko stopped at the door, turning back with a startled look on his face. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Weird crap happened at that school, but a _doll_? Really, Kenzan?" Akiko asked.

He blushed something awful. "F-for the record, she was posing as a transfer student our second year. I didn't know she was the blue dorm's duel doll!"

"When did the boys' blue dorm get a doll?" Fuyuko asked.

"Sometime after you and Natsu graduated," Akiko answered. "And, Kenzan, wouldn't it have been your _first_ year?"

Well, she had him there. He sweat again.

"Yeah, _Kenzan_ ," Sho said. "You're a year _younger_ than us, in case you forgot."

"Oh, shut up!"

Some of those gathered laughed.

When he calmed down, Fubuki said, "Anyway, about Ai, I'm sure Natsuko's already found her and is talking to her right now. It won't be long now before we get out answers, guys."

I hoped that one of the answers we got would be how to get me out of this mess. I mean, that was the whole reason everyone kept showing up, anyway, so it would really suck if it didn't happen.

 _Don't let me down, Natsuko,_ I thought. _Seriously._


	7. A Call for More Help

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX**

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

I found Ai on the beach. But she wasn't alone. That crazed red-head was with somebody I knew all too well—Haruko Ishiyama. The girl was like a little sister to me, having been friends with Akiko since kindergarten. We'd basically grown up together, so her best interests were just as important to me as my actual sister's. In short, seeing her with Ai was _bad_.

"I'm telling you, he's a jerk!" Ai said.

"You don't know him like I do!" Haruko cried. "We went to school together, and he's not as big a jerk as you think! He's compassionate and caring and a good friend! He acts big and tough, but he's really a sweet and kind guy underneath!"

The way that she was going on, I knew the topic was her latest crush. I also knew this one must have been serious because she was being more enthusiastic than she ever was when talking about her latest infatuation. Normally her "crushes" blew over easily, with one notable exception. Two, now. Damn, that meant I'd have to actually meet this guy so I could decide if he was worthy of her heart.

"Whoa… Toots has a crush, alright…" I said. I mean, it _was_ pretty strange to see her that enthused over a guy. I walked over, seeing my target and a friend in need. "Yo, Haru!"

She turned quickly, smiling when she saw me. "Natsu! Hi!"

"Didn't know you were on the island, kiddo! Where you staying?"

"Uh…" She sweat, and I knew she hadn't thought that part out. Just following her heart, like always.

I laughed. Man, this was too like Haru! "With us, it is!" I decided. "But, first…" I turned to Ai, turning on the charm. "Ai. Can we talk, babe?"

"What about?" she asked, her tone showing me she was on guard.

"You. Me. Maybe a few…other things."

She looked at me suspiciously. Well, first time I've gotten that reaction from a woman. "Aren't you one of Judai's friends? Where is he!?"

"Babe, come _on_! Forget about him! Let's talk about _us_."

"Is this some sort of a joke!? I don't even _know_ you! Get out of here!"

"Aw, come on! Don't be like that."

"I'm not falling for it, whatever it is."

Well, this wasn't going well. It looked like I'd be buying Aki that mansion in Europe she'd always wanted, after all.

"Falling for—"

"Don't even finish that."

Aw, man, this was _not_ going well.

"Ai, there's no trick!"

"Really? Then you _aren't_ trying to get me to lower the barrier? Or tell _you_ how to lower the barrier?"

"Barrier?" I asked, playing dumb. "What barrier?"

"Good question," Haruko said.

"Oh, like you don't know!" Ai said. Turning to Haru, she added, "Not you, of course, you don't, but he does." She turned back to me. "Get out of here, and take your little friend here with you! If she wants Manjoume _that_ badly, then that's her loss!"

And, with that, she stormed off. Well, this was going to be embarrassing. Aki and Fuyu would never let me hear the end of it.

I stood there, staring after her and thinking of the millions I'd be losing to my sis and my best bud. "Dang. That didn't go so well…"

"Natsu, what's going on?" Haruko asked.

Suddenly I realized that Ai had said Haruko liked Manjoume. Well, shoot, knowing my luck, it was the Manjoume back at the villa. Hell, no. He wasn't her type, and he didn't _want_ her! If he didn't want her, you could bet he wouldn't treat her right! It was time to get her back on track—get her going after her _first_ love again. After all, I knew _that_ guy would treat her right.

"Aw, I'll explain on the way back to Fubuki's," I told her. "Come on, Haru. Aki and Fuyu are there, too."

"Fuyu-chan!?" Haruko cried, just like I knew she would. Then she grabbed my arm, jumping up and down, as she said, "Let's go, let's go!"

I knew she'd like that! Fuyuko was the only other guy she ever talked about with such enthusiasm, after all. She'd had a crush on him since she was eight; and, even though Fuyuko was too shy to admit it, I knew the feelings were returned. I laughed and took her back to the villa, explaining the situation to her along the way.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Since there wasn't anything we could do about the situation until we heard from Natsuko, everybody was just sitting around, catching up. Most of them were talking with everyone else that was there, but a couple of people seemed to have lost sight of the rest of the world—the only person Sho and Kenzan were talking to was me. Well, it was great to be back with them after so long, but it was kind of awkward that I was the only person they seemed to see in the entire world.

A lot of excitement happened when Manjoume paled and turned to the door. Ryo and Johan, his conversation partners, both turned, too.

And, just like that, we all knew Natsuko was back. Everyone stopped talking and looked.

Natsuko wasn't standing there alone. He'd brought Haruko back with him. Geez, now I could see why Manjoume was upset—his stalker was here, too. And she was, apparently, staying with us, considering she had a suitcase with her.

"Hey, guys," Natsuko said.

Akiko groaned. "Oh, for the love of—You picked up my best friend on the way here!? No hitting on my friends!"

"Whoa, sis!" he said, throwing his hands up in defense. "I wasn't hitting on her!"

"Aki! Fuyu!" Haruko cried.

"Hello, Haruko. How have you been?" Fuyuko asked.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Manjoume exclaimed, glaring at Natsuko. "What ever happened to finding _Ai_? Or did you bring _her_ here, also?"

The way he was acting, it was like Natsuko had just won Manjoume's Idiot of the Year award. Funny, I thought that was usually mine.

"Uh, well, I found Ai. She…didn't fall for it."

"Huh," Akiko said. "And this was the one time that I _wanted_ the girl to be dumb enough to like you."

"Jun!" Haruko cheered. "You're here!?"

Fuyuko's expression lit up. "Wait, you like him, too?" he asked, sounding…hopeful? So Fuyuko _was_ her first victim? At least, before Manjoume. Haruko had a reputation for doing that back at Duel Academy, so I wasn't sure Fuyuko was the first victim.

Fuyuko wasn't the only one who was hopeful. Manjoume's head snapped to him, and his expression was the same. "Wait, what do you mean _too_? Haru. You never told me you had a _boyfriend._ Well, don't let _me_ stand in the way. You two make a _much_ cuter couple," he said, pushing Haruko over to Fuyuko. He had a huge grin on his face.

Suddenly, this situation had gotten a whole lot more complicated.

Fuyuko smirked. "Oh, no. She and I aren't together. Besides, she clearly likes you more."

"It's true, Jun! Why won't you accept my feelings!?" Haruko cried, hugging Manjoume.

Clearly he wasn't comfortable with it. I mean, obviously, considering this was his _stalker_ we were talking about.

"Because I've got a girlfriend! That's why! Now get off already!" He pushed her off.

Yubel was laughing her head off at this. I had to agree, it _was_ pretty comical. I mean, Haruko had a reputation for being annoying, but she'd never actually _hurt_ anybody, so there wasn't really anything to worry about when she was stalking you. She was just…clingy. Besides, throwing Fuyuko into the mix made this a complicated mess, which actually made it fun.

…Why did I feel like this was some sort of crazy foreshadowing?

"But, Jun! I'm way better than her!"

"Haru, get off him!" Akiko snapped.

"Uh, anyway, guys," Johan cut in. "As interesting as this new development is, it's not gonna help Judai any, is it?"

Oh! Yeah, we were dealing with my issue with Ai. The excitement almost made me forget that.

"Yeah, guys! Your plan failed, and Manjoume's stalker's here now, too!" Sho said, gesturing to Haruko. "Got any more bright ideas?"

"Well, let's ask Natsuko!" Fubuki suggested. "What happened, Natsu?"

"She said I'm one of Judai's friends, so I must be after information to get the barrier down. I tried acting like I didn't know what she was talking about, but she didn't buy it. I don't think she'll listen to anyone she knows is friends with Judai."

Shit!

"Oh, great!" I said. "Then she's not gonna listen to anyone because she probably knows _everyone_ I know!"

"Calm down," the Kaiser said. "You don't know that."

Oh, yeah, I _knew_ that, alright!

"She's a stalker! She's already shown me that she knows me better than my parents! She knows where I was born, where I went to elementary school, who my parents are, how much I _weighed_ when I was born, where I grew up, and who I was friends with back in my hometown before Yubel scared them all off! She even knows that Yubel scared my friends away and I sent her into space! SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING!"

The whole time I was listing things that Ai knew about me, Manjoume was nodding. When I finished, he humphed. "Yeah, no kidding. Along with the stuff he mentioned that's relevant to my story, she also knew my exact height year after year, my status in school, _all my grades and duel records,_ how much money the Manjoume Group makes every year…"

Aside from that last one, I was nodding to all of them. She knew those things about me, too.

"You see!? She's got all kinds of information! If she knows who I hung out with when I was a kid, why wouldn't she know who I hung out with in high school!? She might even know what I'm doing right now!"

"I doubt that, Judai," Fubuki said. "She probably can't even find this place. Or do the words 'private villa' mean nothing to you?"

"What's private in this world? I didn't know anyone was _documenting_ who I was friends with!"

"It's okay. This is _new_ information. She can't just look it up and know _that's_ where you are. Only us Tenjoins even know we have this place, alright? There's no _way_ she would know."

Okay. Okay, he had a point. Geez, I needed to stop being so paranoid. I mean, she hadn't found me here yet, so why would that suddenly change?

"Hmm…" Johan said. "Speaking of which, that gives me an idea. Why don't we call the _other_ Tenjoin in to help with this? After all, she won't need an escort to find this place, so I doubt she'll need to ask anyone where Judai is."

I was about to say that she'd already been called when Fubuki said, "That's a great idea! I'll call her right now!"

What? He _hadn't_ called her? He'd called everyone else, but not _her_!? Why not!? Was…was it something I did? Was she the only one who really _did_ hate me?

"Wait! Won't she be in class right now? She's teaching summer school this year, isn't she?"

Oh, okay. So, maybe, he just hadn't called her because she was working. Yeah, that could be it. That probably _was_ it.

"Nah," Fubuki said. "That ends at 4." He waited a moment for her to answer, then said, "Hey, sis! Guess what!?"

While I was busy trying to convince myself that the only reason Fubuki hadn't called her earlier was because she was at work—which, apparently, hadn't stopped anybody else from coming—Yubel appeared, her arms crossed and a thoughtful expression on her face. _"Hmm. Your so-called girlfriend in high school, huh? This seems doomed to failure, too."_

Okay, so I'd had a crush on her back in school. Big deal! It wasn't like we'd ever actually dated! She'd never been interested, anyway, and I'd never told her how I felt. Ai might have known about my feelings for her, though—I mean, she knew everything _else_ about me. So, yeah, this wouldn't go well, either.

 _Zip it,_ I told her.

"And I was wondering if you could try it," Fubuki was saying. "Maybe, with the right cover story, she'd warm up to you!" He waited while she said something, then, "Really!? You will!?"

Okay, that was a good sign. I mean, she wouldn't help somebody she hated, right? So, maybe, this was a good thing. I'd finally have a chance to tell her how I felt.

 _"_ _There's no way Ai's falling for that one,"_ Yubel said, a lame look on her face. _"Wanna go see if we can find a ring?"_

"I'M NOT MARRYING HER!"

Seriously! I'd sooner jump off a cliff and die!

"It's okay, Yubel," Johan said. "Trust me."

 _"_ _If you say so, Mr. Andersen."_

"Who's Yubel?" Fuyuko asked.

Oh, great.

"Ever hear about an incident where the whole Duel Academy Island vanished into thin air?" Manjoume asked, seeming annoyed. Yeah, it wasn't _my_ favorite topic of conversation, either. So why was he telling this guy!?

"Yeah! Good idea, sis!" Fubuki said on the phone. "That should work."

"Yes?" Fuyuko said, his tone saying Manjoume should continue.

"Well, Yubel's a Duel Monster that was behind all of that," Kenzan said.

"And now she's fused with Aniki to keep her under control," Sho added.

Well, that was one way to look at it. It wasn't totally accurate, but it wasn't like I needed to correct them. I mean, if that's why they thought I did it, let them think that.

Fuyuko didn't look like he knew what to say for a moment. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry?"

"Dude, that's harsh. And weird," Natsuko said. He laughed once and turned to Akiko, adding, "And you thought Waru was weird!"

Waru? Who was Waru? Didn't that mean evil? Did I really want an answer to these questions?

I decided I didn't.

"He is," Akiko said. "And so's Judai, but that's been a normal thing since day one at Duel Academy."

I didn't know if that was supposed to be a compliment or an insult, so I chose to just let it slide.

"I chose it, so there's no reason you should be sorry," I told Fuyuko.

"Um, Judai?" Haruko asked. "Why would you choose to seal evil inside of you?"

See, this was why I didn't want to talk about it with other people. They never understood, and I couldn't explain it in a way that would make sense to them. Yubel said it was because nobody else in the world thought like I did, which was probably true. I mean, there weren't a lot of people who would voluntarily fuse with someone who had hurt their friends, no matter what the circumstances.

"She's not evil!" I said. "It's… What happened was my fault. It's hard to explain."

I didn't even want to _try_ with Haruko. I seemed to remember her grades in school were even worse than mine. How she avoided expulsion, I never did figure out.

"Well, that's good enough for me," Akiko said.

Wait, really? It was? Damn, she was a lot nicer than anyone at school had ever thought.

"After all, Natsuko's got some 'hard to explain' stuff, too."

…Okay, yeah, I _really_ didn't want to know.

Haruko didn't look convinced. "But…"

"Uh, guys? May I interrupt?" Fubuki asked. Apparently his conversation was over because he was holding his phone away from his ear.

Everyone but Haruko turned to him. I could feel her stare on me, instead.

"Thank you. I just got off the phone with Sissi, and guess what?"

From the way he was grinning, I figured I knew "what."

"What?" I asked. Hey, better to let him tell me than to guess, right?

"She's coming over, too! But she said not to wait on her, as she didn't want to tell me _when_ she was coming. Said it was better if we didn't know."

Oh. Well, that probably meant that we'd have to wait until she got a break from work. At least she was planning on coming.

"Great," Johan said. "Then what's the plan?"

"Well, she said she was going to try to make friends with Ai. She didn't tell me the details, but she promised me she'd have the information we needed soon enough."

Make friends with Ai. _She_ was going to make friends with _Ai_!? Was she insane!? Ai would _never_ become friends with the girl I liked in high school! She wasn't even _close_ to that gullible! All that would do is get somebody hurt!

"So your sis is coming…and she's gonna try being friends with Ai?" Natsuko asked.

"Yup. Pretty much," Fubuki said, grinning confidently.

Oh, that was just _great_! It was _never_ going to work!

"Great," Manjoume said. "What do we do until she gets here?"

Was I the only one who saw the problem with this idea? Really?

"Well, you and I could go down to the beach and hang out!" Haruko suggested, sounding suspiciously like she was trying to get Manjoume to like her the _right_ way instead of the crazy stalker way. Man, I wished I had _his_ stalker!

…Uh, not that I _wanted_ a stalker at all, but, if I had to have one, I'd rather she be like Haruko.

Manjoume's answer was sarcastic: "Or I could go hide in my room _alone_ all day, how about that?" He turned an annoyed glare at her as he finished that.

"I wanna go sightseeing!" Sho said.

"Yeah!" Kenzan agreed. "This place is pretty cool! I wanna go fishing, too!"

Did I mention both of them stood up? They were sounding—and looking—like a couple of excited tourists. I sure hoped they didn't want _me_ to go with them, seeing as I was sort of in hiding at the time.

"I'll hand out on the beach with ya, Toots!" Natsuko told a disappointed Haruko. "Don't let that mean ol' Manjoume ruin your day!"

"I suppose you'll want me to come along?" Fuyuko sighed.

"Dude, of course! You're my best bud!"

"I'll pass on the beach time," Akiko said.

"Aw, come on, Aki!" Natsuko whined.

"Yeah, come on!" Haruko agreed.

Were we sure _they_ weren't the ones that were related?

" _I'm_ going," Fuyuko said to Akiko. "You'd better have a good excuse not to."

She shrugged and said, "I don't want to hang out with my idiot brother?"

Man, was _this_ what people did when they came to _help_ me? How was _this_ helping!?

While everyone else was planning their vacations, Johan looked at me, worried. "Judai? You okay?"

"Oh, yeah, fine," I said, though sarcasm might have leaked into my tone. "It's not like there's a crazy girl on this island or something."

"It's okay, pal. We're here to help now."

Yeah. Sure. That was why everyone was talking about their sightseeing plans and their beach gear.

"Come on. Let's go do something fun while we wait for backup to arrive. There's a private beach just outside with your name on it." Johan was grinning, trying to get me to go out and have some fun with him. Guess his idea for how to help me while we waited was to get my mind off the situation.

"…Okay," I agreed.

Hey, what else was I gonna do? It wasn't like I could make Asuka come faster by sitting around all day doing nothing.


	8. Asuka Arrives

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

I looked everywhere for Judai over the next two days, with no luck. Although I _did_ see almost every friend he had running around the island as if they were on vacation. I was certain that wasn't why they were there, though, especially after that man had been flirting with me. I mean, surely, Judai would tell his friends that he was in trouble. And, knowing them, it would result in more people showing up.

During those two days, I saw Sho eating in a local restaurant, Kenzan fishing anywhere he could find a coast, and then some. Johan, Fubuki, and Ryo were playing volleyball with three people whose names I didn't know. One of them was the man who had been with Judai the last time I'd seen him, and the others were a blond girl and a tall man with blue hair. Not to get too off-topic here, but Johan's team was creamed, and it was mostly just the blond and the red-head doing the creaming. I decided not to mess with those two at all.

Meanwhile, I also saw Manjoume being a jerk to a woman—the first time I saw them, he was just trying to lose that poor girl. The second time, I had to step in because he was buying her drinks and trying to introduce her to random men in that bar! I _had_ to save her from that!

I also saw Fubuki and the two volleyball pros shopping, with Fubuki looking rather disturbed by the woman's choice of souvenirs—she was looking at a pocket knife when I saw them. Yes, I was certainly going to avoid messing with _her_.

Now, there's a reason I went into such detail about that woman—by the time the second day ended, I was starting to think I'd have to find a way to lure Judai to me. On day 3 of my search, I headed to the beach, knowing full well that the last person I'd ever use to draw Judai out of hiding was that blond. I also knew I had to be sure not to mess with anybody she cared about too much because then _she'd_ come after me, so Fubuki was out of the question.

I stood on the beach, annoyed, watching his friends Johan and Sho run for the water some distance away.

"Oh… Just you wait, Judai. I'll find you if it kills me! Even if I have to use one of your little friends…"

Either of those two would be good choices: They were both Judai's best friends, and neither seemed particularly close to that vicious blond.

However, before I could even decide which of those two I should use, I saw somebody else—another blond woman, this one with long hair and hazel eyes. Somebody who would work even better as Judai bait than even Sho Marufuji or Johan Andersen.

Dressed in tan shorts and a flower-print shirt, Asuka Tenjoin sat down on the beach with a sigh, staring at a picture. Now the only ones we were missing were Ed Phoenix, Austin O'Brien, Hayato Maeda, and Daichi Misawa. Granted, that last one would never appear here, all things considered.

Based on my research into Judai's life, I knew this girl was his high school crush. He'd flirted childishly with her, being so naïve in the subject of romance that he barely even knew what love was, but he'd never told her how he felt. However, even though he felt certain she hated him, he still cared deeply for her. That was part of why he was avoiding her, I was sure—he didn't want to hurt her again, so he vanished from her life instead.

Her head lowered, the woman looked pretty down.

With that, I had a perfect opportunity to go speak to her.

I walked over, as perky as I could possibly be—hey, no need to let my competition know I was onto her—and said, "Hello!"

Asuka didn't seem to hear me, staring at that picture of hers. She sighed. "Oh, Eric. Why can't you look at me the way I look at you…?"

Eric, huh? Interesting.

"Hey. Boy troubles?" I asked, trying again.

She looked my way slightly, tucking the picture away in her shirt as she did so. "Yeah, you might say that. I don't get it. I do everything right, and he _still_ just sees me as a friend. Why is it always like this with the boys I like?"

Well, I figured _that_ comment was aimed at Judai. After all, I had the feeling she had liked him, as well, just based off my research. And, if I said Judai was naïve, she seemed to be even worse in that a boy had to specifically _say_ he liked her before she realized that he did. If I was right about her, then this Eric guy might have liked her, and she just didn't know it because he didn't go crazy like Sho and Manjoume.

Whatever. It wasn't my job to give the girl lessons on how boys think.

"Boys," I said, humoring her instead. "What are you gonna do? They can be difficult." I sat down beside her, adding, "Why, there's one I like right now, but he's just so stubborn."

"You don't say," she said.

Oh, this was just too good. I got to talk about the guy she liked and tell her everything she didn't know, and I didn't even have to tell her who he was!

"Uh-huh. He's just a runaway. Every time he finds a girl he likes, he runs away. There was this girl he liked in high school, but he took off without saying a word. I intend to break him of this habit!"

She sighed again, closing her eyes and hugging herself. "Well, at least that means he knows if a girl likes him, right? When I was in high school, there was this boy I liked, too. But he never acknowledged my feelings for him, so we went our separate ways."

Oh, how ironic that we were talking about the same boy!

"Like Eric, he only saw me as a friend… I don't know. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this. I mean, clearly, no guy's ever gonna realize I like them, if they're any indication…" She rested her head on her knees.

Aw, well, no reason to tell _her_ we were talking about the same guy!

"Don't let them get you down! You'll find the right guy eventually," I said.

Asuka sighed. "Yeah. Maybe you're right. I'm Asuka Tenjoin. Nice to meet you." She lifted her head, shifting into a different position, and held a hand out to me, smiling some.

"The name's Ai," I said, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you, too."

She started getting up, looking quite a bit better now. "Well, Ai. Guess I'll see you around, then. Good luck tying that guy down! I'm sure you can do it!" she said confidently.

I got up, too, thinking of that barrier of mine as I said, "Oh, I've got him right where I want him."

"Good to know. You hanging around long?"

"That depends on how long _he_ wants to hang around."

Asuka laughed. "Point made! Well, then, you wanna meet up here sometime tomorrow, if you're still here? We can hang out, if you'd like."

"Sure!" I told her.

This was just too easy. Clearly she hadn't heard anything about Judai's situation. Hopefully she wouldn't be talking to any of the others before I could make my move.

"Great! I'll be here around ten. If you can make it, come find me, okay?"

"Alright. See you around, Asuka!"

"Right! See ya!"

With that, she ran off for the resort, waving goodbye as she did. Assuming she was even upset in the first place, she was feeling better after getting a little reassurance. Given her and Judai's history, who knew what the truth was about her emotions?

* * *

 **Ryo's POV**

When Fubuki and Natsuko decided they wanted to go to the bar again, I decided it would be a good idea to follow along in case they got themselves in trouble. Natsuko's friend, Fuyuko, agreed, so we accompanied our party-loving friends to the villa's bar.

Of course, the two of them got completely smashed, much to mine and Fuyuko's mutual annoyance.

"I wanna sing a song about romance!" Fubuki shouted from on top of the bar. "A song for all the boys out there."

I sweat, sitting at the bar and watching my idiot friend dance, using a wine glass as a microphone. Some of the girls were watching and giggling. The bartender just scratched his head.

"Fubuki, will you _please_ get off the bar now?" I asked, annoyed.

It wasn't like this was unusual behavior from him—ever since he became of age, he started doing this.

"Ladies, please!" Natsuko said, with seven women surrounding him. "There's plenty of Summer for everyone."

Did he seriously just say that? I know his name meant summer child, but did he _seriously_ just use it as a pun? He and Fubuki had way too much in common.

Nearby, I saw a strawberry-blond waitress watching, apparently distracted by the drunkard's flirting.

Fuyuko put a hand to his face, clearly embarrassed. I couldn't blame him—I was, too, after all. "I hate when you do that, Natsuko…"

Apparently he frequently used his name for a play on words, the same as Fubuki did.

I swiveled around on my stool to face Fuyuko, feeling both annoyed and concerned for our friends. "See why I said it was a good idea to come along? Someone's got to make sure they don't kill themselves, right?"

At that moment, the distracted waitress was caught off-guard when Natsuko proposed to her. She had been heading back to the kitchen, just doing her job, when Natsuko grabbed her hand and went down on one knee. The other women were all giggling at the proposal. Apparently they were at least a bit tipsy themselves.

"Natsuko's proposing again…" Fuyuko sighed.

Well, at least Fubuki didn't do _that_.

"Ah, baby!" Fubuki sang just then. "I can't live without you. Won't you please be mine? You're all I ever wanted."

I looked back and saw that a crowd was gathering around Fubuki and having a blast, which was quite common for him. There's a country western song in America about him—One in Every Crowd, I believe it was called.

"And Fubuki's attracting another crowd…" I closed my eyes and got up, ready to drag Fubuki out of there by force, if need be. This was embarrassing. "Okay, Fubuki. Time to go," I told him, slightly exasperated with my wild friend.

"Aw, but, Ryo, I was just warming up."

I knew, and that was the problem. I grabbed him and started wrestling him off the bar as Fuyuko, looking relieved for an excuse, headed over to Natsuko.

"Natsuko, it's time to leave," he said.

"Aw, but, Ice Master!" Natsuko whined.

Ice Master? Really?

"No buts, Tokugawa!" He grabbed Natsuko, then turned to the waitress and said, "My apologies, ma'am, but we need to get back before his sister starts to worry."

The waitress blinked her blue eyes, still stunned. "Uh, okay."

As Fuyuko dragged Natsuko away, the other nine women—yes, two more had joined at some point—started booing and hissing at him, acting very immature. Or very drunk.

Fubuki's audience was cheering and laughing, enjoying the wrestling match I was having as I tried to get him off the bar. This was _insanely_ embarrassing. Why couldn't he just cooperate, already?

"I said no, you cowardly, conniving, fun-stealing scum-bag! Let go already!" Fubuki said.

Finally I managed to pull my tantrum-throwing friend down. Holding him tight, I looked at Fuyuko. "R-ea-dy, Fu-yu-ko?" I said, struggling to keep hold of Fubuki as he squirmed around.

With a great deal of difficulty, I made my way for the door, wishing that Fubuki was as cooperative as Natsuko. What did Fuyuko do to make him cooperate?

Gripping Natsuko's arm firmly and having no difficulty keeping hold of him, Fuyuko said, "Ready," as he followed me.

I really had to ask him how he did that later.

The waitress stepped forward, her eyes widening. She held a hand out, calling, "Natsu!"

Wonderful. She knew him. Well, at least the proposal wasn't completely out of the blue, then.

Natsuko looked at her and winked. She pulled back, blushing nervously. That was the last thing I saw before we dragged both our friends out of that bar.

Seriously. They had had more than enough to drink.

* * *

As we dragged the two of them away, Fubuki continued his little show. Fortunately he was done struggling—now he was just happily waving his arms around as he sang, "Home, home on the range! Where the dears and the honey moms play!"

Yes, he said "dears." Yes, I know any English-speaking person will say that was grammatically incorrect. No, I don't think he meant the animal known as a deer. And I didn't even _know_ what "honey mom" was _supposed_ to mean, but I knew he was referring to women with _both_ of those phrases.

I stopped and stared at him for a moment. Then, disturbed, I sweat and turned to Fuyuko. "Any idea where he got _that_ one?"

Fuyuko closed his eyes and answered, "Yes, and I'd rather not say."

Seemed Fubuki might have been picking up some of his language from Natsuko. Well, that wasn't quite what _I_ had been thinking.

We kept going, dragging them along, and saw Asuka, of all people. When had she gotten here?

All of us stopped, staring at each other. Fubuki waved at his sister, saying, "Hey, look. It's Sissy. Hi, sis, wanna come stripping with me?"

Oh, for the love of…

Asuka stared at him, obviously disturbed, then asked, "I don't want to know, do I?"

"No, I don't think you do," Fuyuko answered.

"Alright, then. See you around." Then she walked off, still very obviously disturbed by her drunk brother.

"Asuka! Wait!" I called.

She didn't. I would have gone after her, if not for Fubuki. As it was, I just stared after her for a bit, slightly concerned. I knew she had been called in, but what was she doing staying at the resort? I mean, that had to be the reason she was there. There was no way she had just arrived—no boats, choppers, or planes came in at this hour—and she hadn't shown up at the villa. Was she really planning on staying at the resort, where Ai was staying?

"Huh. Wonder what that was all about."

"Dude!" Natsuko said to Fubuki. "Have I ever told you that your sis is way cuter than mine?"

"You've already proposed once tonight, Natsuko," Fuyuko said. "Let's leave it at that."

Well, that effectively ended this conversation. We headed back home so we could tell the others who was here. Fubuki kept singing the whole way there.


	9. Ai's Failed Plan

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX. Kyle belongs to Shadgirl2.**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Johan, Manjoume, and I had been watching Ed's latest match on TV when the Kaiser and Fuyuko dragged their two drunk friends in.

Fubuki's first words were, "Hi, guys, my fiery kitten sister is here!"

Well, I guess Asuka had arrived.

As Fubuki and Natsuko kept yelling frantically, Manjoume turned off the TV and went to wake up the others. Johan went to help with the two drunks. I just sat there, staring at them. Real helpful, huh?

Once we were all gathered, they started telling their story. I'm not going to detail it…at all. Trust me, you're better off not hearing what those drunks came up with.

Once they finished, Johan, disturbed, said, "Okay, the rocket ship dancers aside, you guys really saw Asuka? Where is she now?"

See? See what I meant when I said that you'd be better off not knowing?

"Still at the resort, as far as we know," Fuyuko said.

Meanwhile, for obvious reasons, Akiko was trying to sober up her brother and Fubuki. At the moment, she had a funnel in Natsuko's mouth and was pouring coffee down his throat. Fubuki was doing the hula, and Akiko cast him a look that said he was next.

"Th-the resort!?" Sho demanded. And that was a good question, too! "Why!? Shouldn't she have come straight here, like the rest of us!?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's part of her plan to get closer to Ai," the Kaiser said.

Manjoume had been listening in from the bathroom around the corner, where he was getting ready for bed. At that moment, he poked his head out. "Yeah, but is that _really_ a good idea? I mean, Ai's there, too, isn't she?"

Exactly true. And exactly why Asuka shouldn't be staying at the resort.

"Any plan that puts her that close to Ai is dangerous," I said. "If Ai knows what I think she knows, then she might go after Asuka."

Not that I needed to _tell_ them what she probably knew. It wasn't their business.

"Great," Kenzan said. "So what do we do? Drag her back here or something?"

"But what if being here ruins her plan?" Sho asked.

Like her plan was gonna work, anyway!

"Any plan she's got going on right now isn't gonna work if Ai tries to use her! And that's what she's gonna do!"

I wouldn't put it past Ai to kidnap one of my friends, or something.

Now wearing blue pajamas, Manjoume headed for his room. He stopped with a start, his eyes widening, and I figured that somebody had just gone in there…again.

He ran to his room, yelling, "Haruko, for the last time, GET YOUR THINGS OUT OF MY ROOM! We are _not_ sharing it! UNDERSTAND!?"

Yeah, Haruko was a bit of a pain when it came to that. At least she wasn't trying to force him into bed with her, though—I'd seen her setting up a futon for herself earlier.

"But—"

"Go sleep with Fuyuko! He's your boyfriend, isn't he!?" he yelled, pointing across the hall at Fuyuko's room.

"No," Fuyuko said. "I'm not. But I do think your attitude is a bit much, Manjoume. She's not going to try anything during the night."

The way he said it, I got the feeling he knew something the rest of us didn't. I wondered if it was about Haruko or Manjoume. Fuyuko struck me as the kind of guy who knew everything you did, especially if it involved his friends. Weird, huh? I mean, he was just a duelist! Albeit not a very well-known one. It wasn't like he had any special skills or information sources.

Manjoume glared back at Fuyuko, saying, "I don't care! I've told her _countless_ times to get out! I've got a _steady_ girlfriend, and this makes me look bad!" He ran into his room, apparently trying to deal with Haruko for the third time that night.

Johan stared for a second. "Wow…" He turned to me and asked, "Anyway, pal, what should we do? Should one of us go get her before she gets hurt? I thought you said she can take care of herself?"

Uh, well…yes, she could. But it was Ai. But Asuka could take care of herself. But it was _Ai_!

"I don't know," I said after my brief internal struggle. "Ai's…gotta be up to something by now…"

 _"_ _Hmm. That's odd…"_ Yubel said, crossing her arms and looking thoughtful.

"What?" I asked.

 _"_ _Why are we still here, if that's the case? I thought you liked that girl."_

Well, she was right. What _was_ I still doing there? I had to go make sure Asuka was okay!

"…Good point…"

I ran for the door. Yeah, it may seem stupid, but Asuka needed me!

"Aniki!" Sho called, sounding worried. He must have thought Ai might find me, which was a distinct possibility.

"I'll be back!" I called as I ran out the door.

* * *

 **Sho's POV**

I watched my Aniki run out the door, unable to stop him. I couldn't help but worry, though. What if Ai found him while he was out there? It wasn't safe for him to leave the villa!

"Aniki…"

"Don't worry, mate," Jim told me. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

I didn't answer. I wasn't so sure.

Akiko had gotten Fubuki and Natsuko sobered up, so she and my Nii-san dragged them both off to their rooms. Everyone else also headed to bed.

I couldn't sleep, though, because I was too worried about Aniki. And Asuka. I mean, Ai was a crazy, vicious monster! What if something happened to him while he was out there? What if something happened to Asuka? Then again, if Asuka was here, there was a chance she'd be okay. I mean, if she'd brought _him_ with her, she wouldn't need any protection at all, even from Aniki. _He_ wouldn't let anything happen to her, after all.

I just couldn't sleep. Not until I knew they were both okay.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

I planned to kidnap her that very night. I'd knock her out with sleeping gas, have my guards carry her to a secret location, and leave a ransom note addressed to Judai in her place. Sooner or later, Judai would get wind of this, probably when the police tracked him down to clarify the note. Once he figured it out, he'd track me down, most likely with the police tracking his movements. I wasn't worried about the police, though—diplomatic immunity and all that. I was above the law, especially given the sorts of weapons my family had.

Unfortunately, that plan didn't go so well.

Asuka had brought a friend, a girl with auburn hair I didn't know. She must not have been that close to Judai, I supposed. But, when my smoke bomb entered their room, that girl heard it immediately, sat up, and screamed when she saw the smoke. I swear, everybody within a ten-mile radius heard her!

Sounds came from other rooms as people got up to investigate. Even though the girls were both unconscious soon, it wasn't worth the risk. After all, I may not have been worried about the police, but I couldn't have everybody seeing me do this! They wouldn't just stand by and watch, princess or not!

I got out of there as quickly as I could, cursing my luck.

As I was leaving, though, I saw a blond man come bursting out of the room across the hall. "What's going on here!?" he demanded.

Seeing the smoke coming from under the door across the hall, he swiftly pulled a phone out and called security.

Yes, this was certainly not the time to try this.

* * *

 **?'s POV**

I saw the smoke coming out from under Asuka and Junko's door, and I called the hotel security as quickly as I could. When Asuka had asked me to come with her for this, I hadn't expected it to get quite so dangerous this quickly.

Security evacuated the area as soon they saw the situation, and I told them that there were two women inside the room. The police were called shortly after. Nobody could discover the source of the smoke, although it did manage to make several of the security officers drowsy. I informed the police of this, and they put on gas masks before going in after the girls, who were rushed to the hospital, just in case. As I didn't want to leave my partner and her friend during their time of need, I went along to make sure that they were both alright.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

Well, that was interesting. Was that Asuka's boyfriend or something? He was a pretty good-looking guy. Great figure, golden hair, a strong jaw line… He was quite handsome, honestly. Looked European, I thought.

But, still, this wasn't going at all according to plan! Curse my rotten luck!

The resort was on high alert after that one, so there was no way I'd be getting my hands on her.

"Hmm… She's a smart one. I'll need a new plan…"

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

When I got to the resort, there was a police barricade keeping people out, along with a crowd of scared and worried people, some of whom were in their pajamas or robes. There were even some guys in hazmat suits.

Shit! What did Ai do!?

"What?"

I needed to know if Asuka was okay. I needed to know what was going on.

I headed over to a nearby officer and, in English, said, "Uh, excuse me, sir? My friend was staying here. What happened?"

I got lucky. The officer spoke English.

"Well, there appears to have been an attempted kidnapping," he answered.

Attempted? Meaning it _wasn't_ successful? Okay, that was good, then.

"But, luckily, one of the occupants noticed the problem and called security. The victims were taken to the hospital, but we're pretty sure everyone else is okay."

Wait, _hospital_!? Okay, never mind, this wasn't good!

"By any chance, was one of the victims a woman with long blond hair?"

"Sir, I'm not allowed to go into details other than what I just told you. If you think your friend's in danger, though, you could come down to the station with us for questioning."

No, that was the _last_ thing I wanted to do when she was in the hospital! I didn't need an answer to know it was probably Ai trying to kidnap Asuka, which meant Asuka _was_ one of the victims! Who the other one was, I didn't have a clue.

"Oh, forget it! Where's the hospital!?"

Yeah, yeah, that was dumb. He was bound to be curious after _that_ , I know.

The officer turned to me, sighing. "Sir," he said, his tone telling me he was going to take me down to the station for questioning, anyway. Granted, he didn't sound like he thought _I_ was involved, which was a good thing.

"Stuff happens to her sometimes. She's been kidnapped before, but that guy's not around anymore. Okay? I'm probably just paranoid. She's probably fine," I said, though whether I was talking to the officer or myself was a mystery. I mean, I wasn't quite sure I _did_ think she was fine.

"Sir, I need you to come downtown with me," he said, reaching for my arm.

 _"_ _Uh-huh. I'm not doing this,"_ Yubel said lamely. _"Nightmare Pain."_

She snapped a finger as she initiated her attack. Normally I'd have tried to stop her—like I did every time she tried to use it on Ai—but I was in a hurry to go find Asuka, so I didn't even protest. Besides, her "attack" was only strong enough to knock the guy out, and she'd learned to control it so that it was subtle. Nobody saw a thing, the officer included, before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Thanks, but that's gonna make things difficult…" I said. I hoped I didn't have to deal with the police on this island ever because that wouldn't be any fun. Then again, it wasn't like I'd even _talked_ to the police since I'd gotten here, so it probably wasn't an issue.

I ran off to find the hospital.

* * *

The island was small enough that I didn't have too much trouble finding it. It was right in the middle of town, and there was a bar across the street. Talk about a poor choice of location.

Either way, I wasn't worried about that. I headed into the hospital and right up to the reception desk.

"Hey, is there an Asuka Tenjoin here?"

"That depends," the woman behind the counter asked me, a sweet smile on her face. "Who's asking?"

Okay, they weren't going to tell me unless I was either family or…

"Her boyfriend," I answered.

Hey, I was just trying to find out if she was okay. I know we weren't together, but they weren't going to talk to me unless I had some sort of really close relationship with her, and "good friends" doesn't count in a hospital!

To my surprise, the lady seemed suspicious when she said, "Really? That's kind of funny, considering that he's already here."

W…wait. She actually had a boyfriend? There was somebody on this island that was dating Asuka?

"…Huh?"

I must have seemed totally surprised because she looked concerned suddenly. She pointed to the emergency room doors and said, "He came in with the girls when they arrived. Why? Didn't you know she was seeing another man?"

Well, honestly, after six years, I should have known she'd find _someone_. Hell, she'd probably had a few by now! But, clearly, telling her how I felt was out of the question now. She was already taken.

"…No, didn't have a clue…"

"Well, if that's the case, I suggest you wait for them over there," the woman said, pointing over to the seats in the waiting room. "They're resting now but, due to the circumstances, should be discharged shortly."

"So she's okay?"

"Good day, sir," she said, ushering me away. That smile was back on her face. Clearly that was her work face or something.

Guess that was the only answer I was getting. I walked off, a little annoyed that I couldn't get a straight answer from anybody.

 _"_ _Huh. A boyfriend. Who'd have known?"_

"Anybody with a brain," I said. "I mean, she's an awesome girl, and whoever it is is a lucky guy. I should have known she'd find somebody sooner or later."

I had just, recently, been hoping it would be later instead of sooner.

 _"_ _So are we waiting, or…"_ Yubel trailed off, looking at me with concern.

There was no reason to worry about me. So the girl I liked had a boyfriend. So what? It wasn't like it was the end of the world. Hell, it probably just saved me the trouble of telling her how I felt and getting shot down.

But…should I wait? Or just get out of there before she saw me? I mean, clearly, she was okay since they'd be letting her go soon. Besides, if she already had a boyfriend, she really didn't need me around.

"…I dunno."

 _"_ _Hey. Are you okay? She's not hurt or anything, from the sound of it."_

"Yeah."

 _"_ _Well, look on the bright side. You'll always have me."_

Oh, that pep talk again, huh? Yeah, if that hadn't helped the last fifty _thousand_ times she said it, why would it help then!?

"Yeah," I said.

Yubel stared at me for a minute, then waved a hand in my face. _"Hello? Anybody home?"_ she asked, her tone slowly migrating from caring to annoyed during those three words.

Uh, well, sort of.

"Huh?" I looked at her, dragged away from my thoughts (which revolved around Asuka), and asked, "Say something?"

She smacked herself in the face. _"Honestly, Judai. Get over it. It ended six years ago. The night after that senior duel."_

Yeah, she was right. I mean, sure, we hung out a few times again after that, but I gave up on any sort of romance. I was more worried about trying to get our friendship back to the way it used to be and keeping it from falling apart completely. Granted, I always wondered if I'd even come close to succeeding in that.

"…Yeah…"

 _"_ _Get over it. You've still got me."_

When was she going to realize that wasn't a very good motivator?

Before I could even decide if I wanted to see Asuka, I heard her call, "Judai!? Is that you?"

I turned with a start, dragged from my private conversation with my other half.

Asuka was standing there, along with Junko. Guess that told me who the other girl was. Junko had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and looked unnerved. Beside her, there was some guy, his hands on her shoulders.

All I cared about was that beautiful blond woman, though. Seeing as she was dragged here straight from her bed in an ambulance (I guessed), she was wearing a light blue night gown, though she'd thrown a jacket on over it—I figured the guy with them had brought it for her. Those hazel eyes were just as beautiful as I remembered, looking surprised to see me.

"Asuka!"

"Well, this is a surprise," she said. "What? Worried about that Ai girl? 'Cause, in case you forgot, I can take care of myself."

Thank heavens she was okay!

"I know, but…Ai's…really crazy…"

"I know. Manjoume used to complain about her _a lot._ That's why I brought these two with me!" She gestured at her companions, saying, "Junko's a light sleeper, and Kyle here's tough. He could probably take _you_ in a fight, even." She giggled a bit.

Kyle, huh? I figured this guy was probably the boyfriend I'd just learned she had. I guess he wasn't too bad, just from looking at him. He was about my height, looked like he worked out some, with really sharp facial features. His lighter skin and the shape of his eyes marked him as either European or American. He had short blond hair and green eyes. Somehow the guy managed to look good in a white T-shirt and worn jeans.

I didn't like him.

Kyle held up a hand, smiling. "Please, dear. That's going a bit far, now, isn't it?" he said in a heavy British accent.

And he was modest, too! Great.

"I'm sorry," Asuka said. "Where are my manners? Judai, this is Kyle. Kyle? Judai."

"A pleasure to meet you, Judai," Kyle said, his culture showing as he held his hand out for me to shake. "Asuka's told me so much about you."

Shit. He was smiling, but that didn't necessarily mean she'd said _good_ things about me! I wondered what she'd told him.

Meanwhile Asuka stood there smiling, her eyes closed. From looking at her, she seemed to think Kyle and me meeting was a good thing.

I smiled, though it was forced, and shook Kyle's hand. "She has, huh?"

"Oh, yes. Specifically about how much you saved the world back in your days of schooling with her. Did you really do all that?"

Oh, she told him those stories. Okay, I could live with that.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Anyway, guys, we should go make those statements now," Asuka said. "Just remember what I told you, okay?"

Junko nodded, though she still looked pretty shook up. "O-okay…"

"Easy, girl," Kyle said, going to massage her shoulders. "I know."

What a _nice_ guy.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Judai!" Asuka said, smiling at me. She started for the exit. "Stop by sometime when this is over, and we'll catch up, okay?"

Kyle bowed like some sort of English aristocrat, making me wonder if he _was_. That would just make things even _better,_ wouldn't it? "A pleasure making your acquaintance. May we meet again." He smiled and waved at me before taking hold of Junko's shoulders again and guiding her out.

What a _perfect_ guy he was.

…Where was all of this coming from? These bitter thoughts?

I stood there for a moment, watching after them. Only once they were all out the door did that false smile slide off my face.

 _"_ _Well, he seemed nice,"_ Yubel said. _"A little too nice. Yuck."_ She made a gagging gesture, letting me know just how disgusting she thought Kyle was.

"Yeah," I said. "She's in good hands."

I might not have liked losing any chance at Asuka to that guy, but it wasn't his fault I had messed up. He _was_ a nice guy, and he'd treat her way better than I ever did. If he made her happy, that was good enough for me. Even if a part of me didn't agree.

 _"_ _Well, Judai, shall we go?"_ Yubel asked. _"You know, before Ai finds us here."_

Oh. Yeah. Ai.

"Right. Yeah. We should go."

So I headed back to the Tenjoins' villa.

* * *

When I got back, I found Sho waiting up.

"Aniki! You're okay!" he called, running over, relieved.

"Yeah," I said, and I'm not too proud to admit I was glad to see he'd been worried—hey, nothing says "I care" like worrying about somebody. "I know how to avoid Ai, Sho."

"Really!? You do!?"

…He was stunned. Really stunned. What, did he think I couldn't take care of myself?

"Yep. Not too hard at night. Speaking of, I'm going to bed."

I didn't feel like talking after finding out that Asuka had a boyfriend.

"So, then, that mean everything's okay? And where's Asuka, come to think of it?"

"With her boyfriend. She's fine."

"Oh. So Kyle's here? That's good."

Wait, what?

"Yeah. She's in good hands, alright. Remind me, in the morning, to tell the others, okay?" Sho said, then he headed to bed, once again relieved.

So Sho knew Kyle, too? And thought Asuka was in good hands with him. Why was I starting to get the feeling I really wasn't going to like Kyle?

Scratch that—I had the feeling I'd _hate_ him soon enough.

"…Yeah, okay."

 _"_ _Seriously, Judai,"_ Yubel said. _"Grow up. It's been six years. Move on."_

 _You're right._

 _"_ _Look, quit dwelling on that for now. You've got bigger problems. Like breaking free from Ai."_

 _Right. That_ is _a problem…_

Just like that, she got my mind off Kyle.

 _"_ _So? What'll we do?"_

I shrugged and, seeing as nobody was there to hear me talking to myself, said, "Go to bed?"

 _"_ _Right. Leave it to Asuka. Okay, then. See ya in the morning."_

So, with that, Yubel dove deep into our mind to rest. Great. That would leave me free to think whatever I wanted without her there to hear it.


	10. Asuka and Ai

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

After that day, I went to bed. All I did was lie there, though—I couldn't sleep. My mind wouldn't stop running around in circles.

Here's how it went: I started by thinking about how things could have been different if I'd told Asuka how I felt. Then I started trying to convince myself that she didn't feel the same way that I did, so it wouldn't matter. Then I started thinking that I'd never really know for sure because I never said anything. Then it cycled around to the start again, with me wondering what could have happened if I'd said something.

Finally, around dawn, sheer exhaustion took over, and I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up to Sho shaking me. "Aniki! Come on! You said we could hang out today! Get up already!"

I groaned, cracking an eye open. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten. Come on, Aniki, you've already slept in an hour longer than most of us. Let's go. We're burning daylight here!" Sho whined.

"Alright, alright…" I said, sitting up.

 _"_ _Huh. That's a first, even for_ you _,"_ Yubel said. _"What? So busy thinking of Ai all night that you couldn't sleep? She ain't found you yet, you know."_

Well, no point in correcting her. _Yeah, well…_

 _"_ _Judai, she's_ not _gonna find you here. This place is too well hidden and too unknown. Besides, you know Ai. If she ain't found you yet, she's not going to, okay? Now grow up. You're acting like Sho."_

 _I wasn't thinking of Ai, alright?_

"Great!" Sho said. "I'll go grab us some breakfast and pack our lunch, okay!? Come meet me in the kitchen when you're ready!" He ran out, just as excited as ever.

I got out of bed and got dressed.

Yubel was quiet for a moment, reading my silence. _"Again, grow up. Past is past. Leave it there,"_ she said lamely.

Oh, yeah, _she_ was saying this? She had no right!

"Yeah, says my past life's lover who was in love with _me_ when I was five because of that," I reminded her.

Seriously, see what I mean? She didn't have a right to complain, given what she did to my friends and me because of that.

 _"_ _That's different."_

"It's the past. I didn't remember that promise until way later in life. How's it different?"

In fact, I didn't remember it until she'd hurt my friends while trying to get to me.

 _"_ … _Well, at least you remembered it! So it was still there!_ This, _however, ended six years ago and never returned!_ Your _promise was true and lasted til death! Meaning we never fell out of love, like you and her did!"_ Yubel said, getting defensive now.

Well, she had a point. At least, as far as she and I were concerned.

"…I never fell out of love this time, either… She just wasn't interested."

 _"_ _Ever the idiot…"_ Yubel muttered, rolling her eyes. _"Well, whatever. Point is,_ that _one's over. Ours isn't. Drop it."_

I finished getting dressed just as she said that.

I stood there a moment, thinking about that. "You're cruel sometimes, you know that?" I told her.

 _"_ _Oh, come on. It was just a high school crush. There'll be others."_

"Yeah."

But none like her.

Just then Sho called, "Breakfast's ready! Come and get it!"

Yubel smirked. _"Like, for example, that guy._ He _might make a good_ wife, _don't you think?"_

I blinked, then nearly busted a gut laughing. She had a point—Sho sounded like a mom calling their kids down for breakfast before school!

"Aniki! Come on! It's getting cold!"

"Alright, I'm coming, Sho!" I called back, heading down.

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

Come ten o'clock, I was waiting on the beach, hoping that creep Ai would show. After what had happened, I had decided to act scared, so I was rubbing my arms and acting anxious. Maybe I could turn Ai's attack into sympathy.

Sure enough, she came walking over. "Hey, there, Asuka," she said.

I started, turning slowly, acting like I was on guard. After what I'd been through during high school, it was easy enough. I'd had plenty of practice being on edge, so acting like I was didn't prove difficult.

"O-oh. It's just you, Ai…" I sighed, closing my eyes and looking relieved.

Ai raised an eyebrow at me. "Something wrong?"

"N-no. Nothing's wrong. It's just…" I looked away, holding my arms.

The more pathetic I acted, the more likely I'd get Ai's attention. Oh, the things I did for that man. If this worked, he owed me _big time_! I had to act as helpless as Junko or Momoe to pull this off!

Ai cast me a sly look and said, "Having troubles with your _boyfriend_?"

I started, my eyes widening again. W-was she onto me? She already knew who Kyle was! Great! Now I not only had to act pathetic, but I had to come up with a cover story for Kyle! Oh, yeah, Judai owed me for this. Maybe he could buy me a house when this was over. That might cover it. I was too nice sometimes.

"M-my what?"

"Don't play coy with me. I know all about Kyle! I mean, that chaos last night—first off, let me say I'm glad you're alright—but Kyle was just fawning over you! There's no way it's a coincidence that he happens to be in the room right across the hall. You're here _with_ him, aren't you? And a friend, for some reason."

I stared at her in disbelief. That was what I was afraid of. Kyle's cover story wouldn't work well for us. I'd have to say that _he_ liked _me_ , but that I didn't feel the same way. Well, with any luck, I wouldn't have to tell him.

"What, me and Kyle? No, we're not—" I sighed, looking like I'd been caught. Oh, this story I was about to tell her was going to be a real doozy. "Can you keep a secret? I'm…not really here to have fun…"

"Oh? Why are you here, then?"

I sighed. "Promise not to tell anyone?"

"Honey, my lips are sealed."

I looked around. "Okay. But…not here. Come on."

I got up and headed for somewhere a bit more private. A tale like this was sure to cause a panic. Ai followed me down the beach toward the cliffs.

* * *

Once we were safely away from the crowds, we sat down to talk.

Personally, I thought this story sounded really stupid, but I didn't have time to think of anything else.

"Okay, Ai. Here's what's up. I'm Asuka Tenjoin. I teach at Duel Academy Island. The school that had the Sacred Beasts sealed under it."

"Alright, go on," she said.

"Well, we've had recent reports of strange happenings taking place on this island from some of our friends who happened to be vacationing here, claiming that someone around here's been using those monsters and hurting innocent people. So I volunteered to investigate, and they told me I'd need a team that I thought could be useful to keep me safe, in case the guy found out I was here, and that I'd come for the Sacred Beast cards. That's why I brought Kyle. He's trained in all things combat and has a serious crush on me, so I just knew he'd keep me safe. And Junko's a very light sleeper with a loud, alarming voice, so I asked her to come, too."

Yes, that's right. That was the best I could come up with. If I'd had a little more time, I could have come up with a better story. But I'd spent too much time answering the police's questions last night. Maybe I should have come up with this story _before_ I came here.

"Uh-huh. Honey, I'm not buying it," Ai said. "Your brother called you because of your high school flame, didn't he?"

Oh, great. _Now_ I'd have to fake _trauma_! Judai just _had_ to get a stalker this suspicious!

I looked at Ai in disbelief, my eyes wide and full of hurt. "Ai, I can't _believe_ you don't trust me! I mean, I was attacked last night, and you know it, too! Well, me and poor, poor Junko! And, most likely, it was the guy who has the Sacred Beast cards so he can keep us from retrieving them! I've never been so scared in my life! Well, other than when I was in Dark World, that is. Ai, I thought you'd be able to understand me, given our talk yesterday, but, I guess…"

During most of that, I was trembling, and I started crying when I finished. I sat there with my legs pulled up to my chest, my head against my knees.

This was humiliating. I'd been through way worse! The only way I could pull this off was to think of everything that had happened to me over the course of three years as though it had all happened at once!

…That was a scary thought.

But I was fine! It was Fubuki that saw a psychiatrist after graduation, not me! I was stronger than this! All of that would have been gone from my life for good, if not for a certain _man_ that force me to relive this! Oh, _man_ , did he owe me!

Ai looked at me and said, "Well, I can personally guarantee you that won't be happening again. You and your friends can enjoy yourselves. I'll take care of your 'Sacred Beast' problem. I think I know who attacked you last night, and I'll take care of it." She smiled at me. "And, on a plus side, I know how I'm going to get that stubborn boy of mine to finally stick around!"

"B-but you can't! The guy's _clearly_ psycho, a-and besides, this is _my_ p-problem, not yours! I'll j-just call in more back-up, that's all! An old f-friend of mine's a trained m-mercenary, s-so he should be able to do it safely…"

Could I have been acting more pathetic? No. Now I was acting like only _O'Brien_ could help! If Ai didn't fall for this, I was going to kill somebody.

"No, honey, trust me. The attack had nothing to do with the Sacred Beasts, which I haven't heard a thing about, and I've been here a few weeks."

I looked up. "W-what? Th-then who?"

Not that I didn't already know. Only one person I knew could draw enough attention to make my cover story make sense.

"I've got some…pranksters on my payroll," Ai said, wording it carefully. "It's not something I'm proud of, and, I can assure you, this is the last straw. They're fired. You won't be hearing from them again."

Either her hesitation was because she was _acting_ like she had a stronger word she could have used for these so-called employees of hers, or she was as bad at coming up with cover stories as I was. Given that she was a sneaky, conniving princess, I figured it was the first.

"O-okay… Th-then what do you suppose my f-friends were referring to? They made it sound r-real bad…" I said, calming down slowly.

Finally I could regain some dignity.

Ai shrugged. "Could be the Four Monarchs guarding this place, preventing their prisoner from escaping."

"What? But I-I don't see…" I looked around.

That probably was it, really. I mean, some of my friends could see duel spirits, and, after what happened during my third year, I knew they weren't pretending or crazy. I'd finally seen their duel spirits at that time.

"Only spirit-seers would see them," Ai said. "Though, with that boy trying to escape, it _has_ caused quite a bit of ruckus. Several homes were flooded by his first attempt, and there was what people called a 'freak storm.'"

Really, Judai? You could do _that_?

"Wow. This guy sounds real dangerous. Are you sure the thing last night wasn't him?" I asked, still acting a bit nervous.

I sounded totally pathetic! I wasn't scared of some overpowered freak of nature!

"It wasn't. It was just the guy I'm looking to make mine. He's the stubborn one, like I said. This way, he can't run away."

"Wow. That bad, huh? Are you sure he's not dangerous? If he can do stuff like that—"

Now I was sounding worried. Maybe now all of this degrading behavior would pay off. After all, if I was worried about what this guy could do to me, I could easily pretend to be _just_ as concerned about Ai.

"Sweetheart, you went to school with him. You tell me."

"Y-you mean Kenzan? I didn't know he was _that_ bad. Unless, of course, you're referring to…"

I drifted off a bit there at the end, as though I was hurt or betrayed. _That_ lie was perfect! After all, Judai had run off and left us all after graduation. He didn't even bother keeping in touch, unlike the rest of us. A hateful reaction to that man should convince Ai that I didn't care about him and might convince her to let me "help" her pin him down.

Yes, this was going to be _much_ easier. Hating jerks was my specialty.

"Judai Yuki," Ai said, just like I knew she would.

I stood up, smiling coldly. "Oh. Well, in that case, whatever. Not like I care, anyway. _He's_ the first guy to ignore my feelings and leave me heartbroken, so…" I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. "Heck, with all he's done, he deserves this! Did you know he left us all without saying goodbye?"

Yes, this act was _much_ easier. I just had to pretend I was hurt by Judai back then and hated him.

Ai giggled and said, "Yes. I believe I said that he ran away from his first love, didn't I? So, of course, I know he ran away from you!"

Oh, that was a laugh! First love? As if Judai knew the meaning of the word! If he had, he wouldn't have made me his _fiancé_ in that duel and left me behind. That man would be single for his entire _life_!

"Heh. Not just his first _love,_ then, his first _friends_ , too. And, besides, he never loved me. We ended _that_ relationship as nothing more than good friends and rivals. At least, that's what we settled on, anyway."

"Yes…and that gives me the perfect chance to catch him on the rebound!"

I waved a hand through the air, turning to face her with a glare on my face. There must have been something fueling this false rage because this act was so easy, it hardly felt like an act. If Ai didn't buy this one, she wasn't going to buy anything.

But…why did this act feel so much more real?

"Go ahead, then! See if I care! I just hope you like this island a lot. I mean, you know, since you'll be stuck here with the creep if you manage to win him," I said, crossing my arms again and closing my eyes with a humph.

Ai sighed. "Clearly you don't know how shy boys can be. Regardless, I take it you won't mind if I tell him that you've got a boyfriend? It will make it so much easier to get him to like me so that we _won't_ be staying here any longer."

As if that would work! He wouldn't care, anyway! Besides, he already knew about Kyle. I'd seen that he was just fine with the idea of me having a boyfriend.

I glanced over my shoulder, adding some sarcasm to my tone as I said, "Oh? But what about the guards? Also, _don't_ go around spreading rumors about me and Kyle! You'll put ideas in his head."

"That's what I'm hoping for!" Ai said. "There's nothing in this world more vulnerable than a boy with a broken heart! Why, he'll probably do what most boys do when they hear something like this and turn to alcohol for comfort. Then I'll show up and offer him what he's missing in his life, and he'll be mine! Then I can lower that barrier!"

Clearly she didn't know Judai as well as she thought she did. He didn't strike me as the type to drink his problems away. But, either way, we were getting close to the topic I was after.

"Lower it? Yeah, right." I laughed a bit. "As if _you_ can do that. And did you miss the part about Judai never acknowledging my feelings? Or was I speaking gibberish when I said that?" I asked her, sarcasm easing back in.

Yeah, this act was way too easy. But, whatever. If it got that idiot out of this mess, that was good enough for me.

"Oh, honey! If only you knew… But that's beside the point. The fact of the matter is, I put that barrier up, so I can take it down whenever I want!"

"Well, if _that's_ the case, then I say leave it up. He deserves this, anyway! Take away his 'hero' dream, like he took away all of mine! Trust me, you'll never pin him down if he can go wherever the hell he pleases," I said, sounding betrayed. For good measure, I waved an arm through the air. Hopefully it would help this act along since it _felt_ pretty sincere.

"Don't worry about that, sweetheart. He'll be bound my Misgarth law to remain by my side. If he doesn't obey, my brother will have to take legal action, and I'm sure he doesn't want that. He'll be marrying me before we leave here."

Her brother? I got the feeling she meant Prince Ojin. If he would be taking legal action, that was probably the case. Which would mean that Ai was a princess.

I shrugged, my eyes closed. "Whatever. I just hope he doesn't elude you before that happens. He's pretty clever, so, if there _is_ a way, he'll find it in time." I laughed a bit.

I was making Judai sound like some sort of a super genius, even though he'd barely graduated high school. But, hey, sounding arrogant and nasty should get Ai's attention. If I was lucky, she'd tell me the spell she'd used to try and defend herself. I mean, messing with Judai _was_ a death wish, given that his powers could prove deadly.

"Then, oh, boy, will _you_ be in trouble," I continued. "I'd watch myself if I were you." I gave another slight laugh.

Ai didn't respond the way I expected.

"Oh, dear. I sense a terrible misunderstanding." She shrugged and continued, "Should I tell you his reason for running off? The reason he was avoiding all of you during the second half of your third year? Should I tell you what he never thought to say, and what none of you ever thought to ask?"

Oh, please. As if I needed to hear _that_. Besides, she sounded like she was toying with me, maybe even testing me to see if this act was true. Better make sure I passed this test.

"That's okay, Ai. I don't care about that anymore. But good luck. Don't get killed when he escapes."

I started walking off, hoping to scare her into spilling the beans. Judai's wicked other half was making this a walk in the park!

I stopped for a moment, looking back. "…If you live through this one, you wanna drop by my place sometime? I'll introduce you to Eric, if you'd like."

I was hoping that acting like I cared and wanted to be her friend would convince her to tell me. Granted, even if it worked, there was still a way it could bite me. I'd have to stick around for awhile to keep my new "friend" safe from Judai. So Kyle would probably wind up hearing my lie, and I'd be spending a lot more time with Ai. In addition, I'd have to act like I hated Judai if I ever saw him when Ai was around.

Could this mess get any worse?

Ai stared at me for a moment. She looked like she finally believed one of my acts.

"If you really want him to stay trapped, don't let him find a girlfriend other than me," Ai said before getting up and walking off.

A girlfriend, huh? So he could break that spell by finding a girlfriend?

"Will do," I said. "See ya."

I headed off the other way, planning on telling the others the news as soon as possible. At least I'd gotten what I was after. Granted, it probably wouldn't make any difference because Judai was too dense to ever get a girlfriend. At least, not without some serious schooling.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

Wow. Who would have thought? Asuka's little trauma act hadn't fooled me. But that other half of our conversation...

Maybe she meant it. That part about hating Judai didn't feel like an act. It rang far too sincere for that to be the case. If she hated him that much, she wouldn't be trying to help him. And, even if she told him how to lower the barrier, it wouldn't help any because he'd be left with a broken heart when he found out about her boyfriend. And he'd be feeling even worse if he found out how she _really_ felt about him...

I could use this, I realized. If Judai knew Asuka hated him, he'd be easy prey.


	11. Get a Girlfriend?

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Sho and I went to the Tenjoins' private beach and built a sand castle. Yeah, I know, that's kid stuff. Except Sho was going on about how it was going to be the greatest sand castle in the history of the world. What we built wound up looking like something that would win a sand castle contest, with five realistic towers, sturdy walls, a flag, and windows.

Incidentally, Sho might not have packed anything, but the Kaiser had his little brother covered. He must have brought stuff for Sho because Sho had actually been wearing more beach-worthy clothes lately.

"Who says sand castles are only for kids?" Sho asked. "Ours has a working drawbridge, a moat full of water, and even a dungeon! I'd like to see some little kid do this. Right, Aniki?"

He was grinning at me, playing with the string that controlled the seashell drawbridge. But I wasn't paying a lot of attention—I was still thinking of Asuka and her boyfriend Kyle.

"Yeah," I said.

"So, what do you think? Should we get some fish to serve as guard monsters to help protect our castle?"

Fish? Guard monsters?

"…Are we sticking them in the moat?" I asked, looking at him.

"Uh-huh! That's where guard monsters go, silly!" Sho said, then he laughed.

Well, at least one of us was having fun. I wasn't about to bring him down, so I said, "I dunno. Whatever you think."

"Aniki? You okay? You're not hungry again, are you?" Sho asked, looking at me with concern.

Whoops. Guess I wasn't doing so great at hiding my distraction.

"No," I said. "No, I'm fine."

If anything, Sho looked more concerned. Dang it, why was I having so much trouble hiding my thoughts!? Normally keeping things secret from these guys was easy! They were normally too dense to notice anything was wrong!

Fubuki came walking over, a surfboard under his arm. "Uh, has anyone seen Natsuko? We were supposed to meet up at the public beach and go surfing, but I can't find him anywhere." He looked around, a hand shielding his eyes.

Thanks for the distraction, Fubuki. Sho stopped looking at me and turned to him, saying, "Sorry, Fubuki. Haven't seen him."

Fubuki parked his surfboard in the sand and crossed his arms. "Huh. That's odd. Wonder where he went." He perked up and said, "Oh, by the way, I saw Kyle today! He was helping out down at the resort. Apparently something big happened over there last night that's got folks round here in a panic. Wonder what that was."

Great, so Kyle was just helping every person he met? Who did he think he was, me? Only…better.

"It was probably Ai," Sho said. "Asuka was a bit too close to her last night. But don't worry! Kyle took care of her! He came along to make sure she was safe, so there's no way Ai's gonna get her way! You know how Kyle is."

When he mentioned Kyle, Sho sounded confident and…similar to how I'd once heard he talked about me. What was this guy? My replacement?

Fubuki laughed and said, "Too true! Sissy couldn't be any safer with him on guard if she tried!"

So she was safer with Kyle around than she was with _me_?

I didn't want to hear another word about Kyle, so I decided to change the subject. "Hey, is that Natsuko over there?" I asked. I didn't really see him—I just didn't want to hear any more about the perfect guy who seemed to have taken my place.

It worked. Fubuki looked around, excited. "Really!? Where!?"

"He just went inside."

"Great! Thanks a lot! Natsuko! You better be getting ready in there! The waves aren't gonna surf themselves, you know!" He picked up his board and ran back to the villa, chasing phantoms.

At least the Kyle conversation was over.

"Aniki?" Sho asked. "What was that about? Natsuko's not in there, or I would have seen him."

"Yeah, well, maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me. Are we gonna get guards for our castle or not?" I asked, getting up and heading for the water.

After a second, I heard Sho say, "Yeah, okay."

He followed me, and I ignored the concerned look in his eyes. There wasn't anything to worry about, anyway. It wasn't like I had been replaced by some stupid guy from Europe.

* * *

We caught a few small fish for our moat, putting them in a bucket of water we'd brought along. When we headed back for our castle, we saw Johan talking to Asuka on the beach.

"Really!? That's great news!" Johan was saying, excited, as we walked over. "Nice work, Asuka! I can't wait to tell him!"

"Tell me what, Johan?" I asked. I mean, it was probably me he was talking about, given what the both of them were on this island for.

Johan and Asuka both turned to us.

"That Asuka here's found out what we need to do to take down that barrier!" Johan answered. "Well, what _you_ need to do, that is."

Great! Then I could get out of here and never hear about Kyle again.

"Really? And what's that?" I asked.

Asuka answered, "Well, as awkward as this might sound, she said you'd have to get a girlfriend."

…What?

"Don't ask me why, though. I'm not even gonna try to understand how her head works." She closed her eyes and shrugged, shaking her head.

A girlfriend? I needed a _girlfriend_?

"A girlfriend?" Sho asked. "But that's easy!"

Yeah, sure it was.

"There are plenty of single girls around here."

So?

"And, with Aniki being so attractive, it's only a matter of time before one of them makes a move."

Again, so?

"Are you sure that's it?"

Sho made it sound so easy. Asuka made it sound so easy. Even Johan made it sound so easy. All three of them were pretty excited, as though this solved all of my problems. Damn, Johan, did you forget something!? Or did _you_ not know about Asuka's boyfriend, either!? How the hell was this going to be easy when I wasn't interested in getting my heart broken again so soon!?

Besides, I'd been here for two weeks. Girls had already been flirting with me. But none of them could compare to Asuka. None of these beach-goer were even close to her level.

Asuka shrugged. "That's what she said, at least."

"Well, it's better than nothing," Johan said. "So why don't we head over to the beach, and you can—"

"Enough!" I cut him off, not interested in that idea. "That's not gonna happen, Johan."

"Huh? But why?" Sho asked.

Why? Why? Well, _one_ of these guys should have _known_ why! I'd _told_ him why!

Johan kept up the ignorant act when he said, "Yeah, I mean, it's not like you're a bad guy or anything, so why—"

"Judai?" Asuka cut him off, moving forward. "Are you okay?"

I had all three of them looking concerned and confused now. But I didn't care. I wasn't interested in dating anybody right then. Besides, it wouldn't have been fair to use some poor girl to get me off that island.

"I'm perfectly fine. I'm just not in the market for a girlfriend right now."

Seeing as I didn't want to talk about this anymore, I turned and walked off.

"Aniki! Wait!" Sho called, running after me.

Couldn't he just leave me alone?

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

"Wow," Johan said as we watched Judai walk away. "What was that all about?"

Johan may not have known, but I had a guess. Probably our runaway hero didn't want to endanger another innocent by risking getting her in trouble with Ai. Either that, or he didn't want anything distracting him while Ai might still be after his friends.

Somebody had to do something about him, though, or he'd be stuck here until Ai finally got him.

"…I'll talk to him," I said, going after him.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

I managed to convince Sho to leave me alone when I refused to answer any of his questions. In the end, I found myself sitting alone on the Tenjoins' beach, just staring out at the ocean and thinking about it.

I had to get a girlfriend to get off this island? Well, maybe someday. It would have been a whole lot easier, if not for that stupid Kyle. I could have just told Asuka how I felt and tried starting something with her. But, with Kyle in the way… Well, I didn't really feel like going looking for a girlfriend right then. That blow was a little too fresh. Maybe, once I'd had a chance to get over it, I'd give it a shot. But that wouldn't be happening that very day.

I heard soft footsteps behind me, then Asuka's voice said, "Judai? Can we talk?" She sounded gentle.

"Huh?" I looked over my shoulder, seeing her concerned expression. How could I say no to that look? "Oh, yeah. Sure."

She walked over and sat down beside me, like she'd always done back at Duel Academy if she found me upset. Talk about nostalgia. "Something on your mind? You kinda blew up back there. Is it because of what I said?"

Well, yeah, it was because of what she said! What else would it be?

"Hm?" I asked, playing dumb. I was staring out across the water again.

We sat in silence for a moment, with Asuka staring at me. Finally, she said, "This is about last night, isn't it?"

Yeah, it was. Specifically what I'd learned last night.

"Last night?" I asked, as though nothing was wrong. I mean, I couldn't tell her that she was the reason I wasn't interested in finding a girlfriend right now. That wasn't fair to her.

"You know. That thing at the hospital, with Kyle and Junko…"

Crap. Did she already know?

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You're worried, aren't you?"

Worried? So she _didn't_ know? Well, I guess that was a good thing.

"Worried about what?" I asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, Judai."

Why not? It was real easy, given that she wasn't even on the right track.

"I know how you feel about Ai. You're worried that she's gonna do something terrible to me, am I wrong?"

Okay, so she wasn't _totally_ wrong. She was just wrong about what had me saying no to a girlfriend.

After a moment, I admitted, "Yeah." Hey, better than telling her what was _really_ bugging me.

"You don't have to worry," Asuka said. "I'm fine."

Was this where Kyle was going to come up again?

"Like I said, that's why I brought backup; and Ai's backed off, anyway, after our little chat, so I think I'm good, okay?" she said, trying to reassure me. She was grinning at me, like I was some sort of cute little kid.

Well, he didn't come up by name, but he came up again! Seriously, was that guy _everywhere_? And the girl I liked was looking at me like I was a toddler! Talk about infuriating!

"Yeah, okay," I said. Hey, I'm good at hiding my emotions.

"Good. Then let's stop worrying about that and see about getting you out of this mess, okay?"

Couldn't I do that on my own time? I didn't need my high school flame trying to help me find a girlfriend!

When I didn't answer, Asuka put a hand to her chin, looking thoughtful. "So? You need to find yourself a girlfriend. What kind of women are you into, or do you need the definition of the word first?" she asked, giving me a look of either genuine curiosity or concern.

Seriously? Like hell I'd tell _her_ what kind of women I liked!

"…I know what it means…" I said instead.

"Really?" she asked, clearly surprised. "You do? Well, who taught you that, 'cause, last time I checked—"

Last time she checked? _Last time she checked!?_ When had she ever bothered to check in the first place!?

"Yeah, well, you never did a very _thorough_ check!" I snapped, finally looking at her.

I know it wasn't fair to snap at her. It wasn't her fault I never said anything. It wasn't her fault Ai had forced me into this position. But I wasn't in the mood for this right then. Especially not from a girl I had actually liked.

She glared at me, which made sense, given my attitude. "Sorry, but what was I supposed to think? You didn't understand the word 'fiancé,' and any _duels_ we had on the subject, you—"

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I say that to her!?

"Look, I can't have this conversation with you right now," I cut her off, my tone neutral again as I turned away. "I'm worried I'll say something I'll regret later, so let's just drop it, okay?"

I mean, at the rate this conversation was going, I'd probably get her hating me if we kept talking.

Fortunately that must have worked. She sounded concerned again when she said, "Judai…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a look I'd seen more than once after Dark World—she was worried about me again. Why did I always do this? Why did I always make people worry about me?

I figured it was time to change the subject to something safer. Something that wouldn't make her worry about me. "So, what have you been up to these past years?" I asked, trying to perk up a bit. I even looked at her, so I really _was_ trying.

"Not much," Asuka said, her tone telling me it was too late to salvage this. Man, I'm an idiot. "Staying out of trouble for _one_ thing. Speaking of, don't you think this stuff's getting a little old? Maybe it's time you settle down, like the rest of us."

Now she was the one with an attitude. Oh, yeah, I'd made her mad! Why was I such an idiot!? Why did I always do stuff to make them mad at me!?

Either way, I knew what she meant. Everybody else had settled down, getting all the weirdness out of their lives. Nobody but me had anything to do with, say, time-traveling duelists on motorcycles with duel disks attached.

But somebody had to help these people, and who better than the guy with supernatural powers and inhuman strength? Besides, after what I'd done in Dark World, it was only right that I use my powers to help people instead of hurting them.

I shrugged.

"Really, Judai? Aren't you tired of always having to save the day yet? _We_ all are."

Her tone kept switching from annoyance to concern. I couldn't tell if she cared or if I was just a nuisance. Seriously, she couldn't seem to make up her mind! At that moment, she _sounded_ concerned, but who was I to say?

"Yeah, well, I'm not you guys," I answered.

It _seemed_ like a safe answer. But I must have been wrong.

Asuka glared at me again. "I can see that. Why do you think we're here?" She pointed at herself, saying, " _I_ wasn't planning on taking a vacation at _this_ time of the year. And this island belongs to my family, so the others wouldn't even be here if—"

So it was my fault again. Like everything ever was. I was messing up her life, and everyone else's at the same time. What else was new?

"Excuse me for living!" I snapped. "You didn't _have_ to come, you know! You could have stayed at home with your work and Kyle! Fubuki's the one who thought he should call you guys! And you can leave any time, too!"

"Hey, what's Kyle got to do with this!? You don't even know him! And, besides, it's not our fault you love walking into people's traps like this! Or did you forget what you did _twice_ in Dark World!?"

Damn it, did she have to bring that up? As if I didn't feel guilty enough about it already! I cringed, that one comment feeling like a fierce blow.

She pointed an accusing finger in my face as she added, "Not to mention that thing with Darkness and Domino City, then there was Saiou _in_ Domino City, and the abandoned dorm in first year, and the—" With each thing she mentioned, she flicked her finger at me, emphasizing her points.

Who told her about those first two? I was gonna hit him.

"I wouldn't have gotten in trouble in the abandoned dorm if that creep hadn't kidnapped you," I pointed out. I mean, it wasn't fair to blame me for a trap where she'd been used as bait. That is, unless she'd rather I hadn't helped her. "And, if I didn't stop Darkness, who would? You guys were focusing on getting your lives in order, and I already figured I had no future, anyway."

That wasn't an attack on them. It was true. We were months away from graduation. They had better things to do. I'd never paid much attention in school, anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. Besides, after that incident with Yubel, I'd decided to help people to try and make up for the harm I'd done in my life.

" _But, you know, she has a point,"_ Yubel said, _"Your memories even show you getting kidnapped by a sailor after you stupidly decided to—"_

Did she _have_ to mention _that_ one? That was a ridiculous adventure I didn't want to think about!

 _Oh, shut up,_ I told her. To Asuka, I said, "Fine, maybe I should stop. Okay?"

Asuka waved her hands, confused, as she said, "Wait, wait, wait. What do you _mean_ you had no future?"

Whoops. Wrong words.

"You're one of the best duelists I know! Surely someone could have—" She cut herself off, looking at me with concern again. Aw, great, would I _ever_ stop worrying her? "What's wrong, Judai?" she asked after a second. "Why'd you leave Duel Academy like that? You wanted to be the next King of Games, remember? What happened?"

What happened? That was a good question. With a complicated answer.

Yubel had shown up. She'd hurt my friends while trying to get to me. She'd taken Johan. And then, trying to save him, I'd caused my own friends to get hurt, even hurting a couple of them with my own hands! On top of all of that, I'd hurt hundreds of innocent people as Haou!

I'd gotten a dose of reality. I realized that there were people out there that needed help, and I'd decided to help them, maybe in a vain attempt to repay my debt to society. Besides, if I didn't do it, who would? It wasn't like there was anybody in the world who would want me to stick around, anyway. I mean, aside from Sho, but he traveled all the time, anyway, for his duels. Besides, at the time, I didn't know he still cared.

The point was, me running around helping people didn't hurt anybody because there was nobody who wanted me around badly enough to be bothered by it.

But I couldn't find the words to explain it to her. I wasn't even totally sure what had happened myself. I wasn't sure if it was guilt that had me being a traveling hero, or if that was really what I wanted to do. I mean, I _did_ enroll in Duel Academy so I could become a duelist. But, now, I wasn't doing anything with that education. And, to think, I'd once told Hayato not to give up on _his_ dreams.

That was a depressing thought. Even worse, I wasn't sure if I'd given up my dreams, or if my dreams had changed.

I just gave Asuka a tired shrug, staring out at the ocean again.

"Judai…" Asuka said, her tone sympathetic.

"Ah-hah! There you are, Aniki!" Kenzan called, running over.

Well, time to perk up, Judai. It was bad enough you were bringing Asuka down.

I turned, doing my best to hide my emotions from Kenzan. "Hey, Kenzan!" I said. "What's up?"

"I just talked to Johan! And I think I know the perfect girl for the job!" he said, looking excited. "Come on! I'll introduce you to her!"

Ah. It was about that stupid idea.

"…Oh."

Kenzan must not have noticed my look. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. "Come on! You'll love her! Trust me!" he said, dragging me off.

"Kenzan!" I protested.

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

"Wait til you meet her," Kenzan said as he dragged Judai away. "She's so…"

That was the last I could hear of that conversation.

"…Okay…"

That was…stunning. Kenzan was acting a bit odd.

But…I didn't think this was going to work out, given how Judai was acting. His heart wasn't in this, for some reason. What did he mean, he didn't have a future? Had I missed something back in school?

I wished there was something I could have done to help Judai, but he'd turned into a completely different person after Dark World. I didn't know who he was anymore, so how was I to know how to help him?

I gave up on worrying about that, leaving Judai in Kenzan's hands as I headed back toward the public beach by the resort.


	12. A Day With Ai

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

The way Kenzan was talking about this girl, I wanted to tell him that _he_ should just marry her.

Apparently she was a tall brunette with green eyes and the "cutest smile imaginable." Kenzan met her when he was fishing on the beach and she'd asked him to help her set up her umbrella. She was starting to sound like she'd leapt straight out of a movie about attractive women on beaches, the way Kenzan was describing her. His excited smile had me _really_ wanting to say he should marry her.

"And she's a great dancer and is very smart, loves a good duel, and—"

"Kenzan! Let go!"

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, finally turning to look at me.

Seriously, he'd dragged me halfway through town talking about the girl! If he didn't start dating her, I'd have to say he was making the same mistake _I_ once made. After all, I wasn't interested right now.

I pulled away, saying, "I'm not looking for a girlfriend."

"But why, Aniki? I thought you wanted to get away from Ai. Did you change your mind about that? Surely you're not—"

From the look of surprise on his face, I knew he was thinking I'd changed my mind about Ai. Ha! As if! That was the _last_ thing I had done!

"No! I'm…getting over someone. Alright?"

"Really? Who?"

"Ah- _hah_!" Ai said before I could even think of answering. She came out of nowhere and latched onto my arm. " _Now_ I've got you, Judai!"

Great, just what I needed! My stalker coming out of nowhere and finding me here.

Kenzan jumped back, a bit startled. Guess he didn't see her coming, either.

"A-Ai!?" I stammered, looking at her. "Oh, great…"

Seriously, the _last_ person I needed to see. Ever.

"I'm sorry, but do you mind?" Kenzan asked, sweating and rubbing his head. "Aniki was just about to show me around. I've been spending so much time fishing that I…haven't really looked around here any yet…"

"Oh, sure! Not a problem! Mind if I join you?" Ai asked, dragging me off. "Thanks, you're the best!"

Well, so much for _that_ plan. She wasn't going anywhere.

I sweat. "Ai, let go!"

She did the opposite—she tightened her grip.

"Okay?" Kenzan said, following.

Well at least he wasn't leaving me alone with this woman.

* * *

Ai dragged us all over town, showing off all sorts of things that tourists would probably find interesting. She stopped our little "tour" on the resort's beach. You know, the place where she wanted to trap me.

Kenzan stared at our latest stop cautiously, his arms crossed. "You know, you didn't have to cover the beach, too. I came here on my first day, led by our friends back toward their place. You can get anywhere quicker from down here, in case you didn't know."

You know, I hadn't thought about it, but it was true. Somehow, with the way this island was shaped and the traffic, cutting across the beach was the quickest way to anywhere on the island.

"Yes, I know, Kenzan," Ai said. "I just thought the beach would be a great place to end our tour! We can hang out here for a little bit and have some fun!"

Yeah, like I wanted to hang out on the beach with my stalker.

"Sorry, Ai, I'm not in the mood to hang out with you."

And I probably never would be, unless I lost my mind or my memory.

"Aw, I'm sorry. Is this about that girl you liked? The one who went and got herself another man?"

Damn. So she was trying that tactic, huh? Well, good thing I already knew about Asuka and Kyle. And, for the record, there he was again. He really _was_ everywhere!

I didn't answer. After all, she was looking for a reaction, so why give her the satisfaction?

Kenzan looked off at something else on the beach, and he suddenly looked a bit disturbed. What was he looking at? A penguin and a polar bear doing the Macarena?

"…Speaking of, isn't that Manjoume over there with Haruko and Fuyuko…dressed like a waiter?"

What!? Okay, that was even weirder than what I'd been thinking!

Needless to say, both Ai and I looked where he was. Sure enough, there was Manjoume, wearing a penguin suit and carrying a tray with drinks on it. Haruko was sitting there on a beach towel in a lacy pink dress and white sandals, her hair braided over her left shoulder, with Fuyuko sitting next to her. Both looked confused, though Fuyuko also looked a bit annoyed. I can't blame them—Manjoume just didn't _do_ this!

"What's he doing?" I asked.

"How should I know? He's your friend," Ai answered, and, for once, we were on the same page—both of us were confused.

Kenzan was still staring, frozen in place, it seemed.

I had to ask. So I walked over.

* * *

 **Manjoume's POV**

Why was I doing that? It was humiliating!

Oh, wait… _That_ was why I was doing it. Haruko. When I woke up that morning, she'd been sleeping on my floor!

I scolded her and sent her away, like a puppy who had done something wrong. Then, annoyed, I sat down on my bed and tried to think of some way to get rid of her.

When inspiration hits, it hits hard and sudden. And that's how it was for me when I realized what I could do to get rid of her.

She liked Fuyuko, too. She had probably liked him longer than me. So why not hook the two of _them_ up? It was simple enough—just send them on a blind date. I could take Haruko and go find Fuyuko, then make the two hang out together. With any luck, she'd go back to stalking him instead of me.

So I dug through my wardrobe until I found something suitable for a servant—a white button-down shirt, black vest, and black pants. Then I went to Haruko's room and told her to put on something nice so we could go take a walk together. She rushed to get ready, thrilled that I actually wanted to spend time with her. Little did she know what I was _really_ doing.

We spent most of the day walking around the island looking. Seriously, how can it be so hard to find one guy with blue hair!?

While we were looking, I refused to stop anywhere. I mean, that would make it look like _I_ was on a date with Haruko, and that was the last thing I wanted! So, naturally, I got to hear Haruko complain about how much her feet hurt and how hungry she was. To shut her up, I acted like she was a total wimp and told her about Dark World. That worked—she stopped complaining, trying to get on my good side, I guess.

It was almost sunset when we finally found Fuyuko. He was on the beach with that idiot Natsuko. Both of them were wearing swim trunks, so I knew what they had been doing all day.

I grabbed the idiot with the orange hair and pulled him aside, asking him what I should get for Fuyuko. Unfortunately, due to Haruko showing up at every restaurant I ever ate at, I already _knew_ what I should get for her. Oddly enough, Natsuko was eager to tell me what his friend liked. Then he was equally eager to beat it.

So, since Haruko was tired and hungry, I spread out a beach towel for her right next to Fuyuko's and set up an umbrella. Then I made them both sit down, deciding to serve them both since Fuyuko was there. Hey, I thought it was a pretty good cover story. After all, if Fuyuko hung out with Natsuko, he couldn't have been much smarter. And I already knew Haruko was a total ditz, so they'd never realize what I was doing! It was a perfect plan!

So, yeah. _That_ was why I was doing something so humiliating. It was worth it to get rid of my stupid new stalker.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

Well, as disturbing as Manjoume's latest antics were, I realized I might be able to use it. Judai was completely distracted, and Kenzan seemed just as bad. I decided to take the opportunity to shrink that barrier so that Judai wouldn't get away from me again.

I ran off, heading back toward the resort.

Unfortunately Kenzan wasn't as distracted as I thought he was. When I took off, he started, looking at me with surprise and worry. "Hey, Ai! Where are you going!?" he called, running after me.

* * *

 **Manjoume's POV**

"Here you are, sir," I said, handing Fuyuko a cup on a saucer. "A nice, hot cup of coffee. And, for the lady, a strawberry daiquiri, compliments of the chef." I bowed, looking every bit like one of my butlers. If you didn't know me, you'd probably think I _was_ a butler. If this didn't work, I was going to kill them both! This was freaking embarrassing!

"Um, Manjoume, I didn't ask for…"

"Is there a reason you're forcing us to have a date?" Fuyuko asked.

Damn. Maybe he was smarter than I'd given him credit for.

"Oh! That reminds me, I have some champagne for the two of you. Strawberry flavored, of course. Shall I pour it into your glass?" I bent over, holding the bottle.

"Manjoume? What are you doing?" I heard Judai ask as I caught him coming over out of the corner of my eye.

Great. Just what I fucking needed. The idiot catching me doing _this_!

"He's playing matchmaker, much like Natsuko. Except his reason is so that he can pass what he feels is a burden onto another man."

Oh, yeah, this guy was smarter than I'd thought. So why did he hang out with an idiot like Natsuko!? Then again, why did the Kaiser hang out with an idiot like Fubuki?

Either way, I wasn't about to admit that he was right. "Why, my good man," I said, doing my best to sound appalled at the accusation. I even put a hand over my heart for good measure. "It's nothing like _that_ , I can assure you."

* * *

 **Fuyuko's POV**

One look at Manjoume's devious smile, and I knew I'd more than hit the nail on the head. Not that it was a surprise. I was rarely wrong about a person's intentions. After all, such poor perception would make me useless in my chosen career field as a special operative for the Japanese government. With that in mind, I was liking this man less and less.

"Right, and you aren't viewing poor Haruko as a burden simply because she's persistent," I said.

I knew that what Haruko was doing was wrong, but the things I'd heard he had been doing to try to get rid of her were too much. They were just as bad! I had recent knowledge that stated that he had tried to get her drunk and paired with a stranger in a bar!

Manjoume closed his eyes and crossed his arms, still feigning distaste. "Well, I can see _I'm_ not getting a tip."

Of course not! I never asked him to do this!

"Anyway, are you ready to order now, sir?" he asked pulling out a clipboard and pen. No doubt so that he could jot down our unspoken orders again, like he had done with our drinks.

Incidentally, when he had left to fetch our drinks (ignoring our confused questions), Haruko had told me about the horrible day she'd had. She had gotten dressed up, thinking that Manjoume would actually try getting to know her and at least try to be friends, and he had made her walk around town all day with no food. Not only was she hungry and tired, she was also confused and a bit hurt by how he'd been acting. And what was this Dark World she was talking about?

No doubt. I didn't want Haruko anywhere near this man. He wasn't good for her. If I had to drag her home with me, I'd do it just to keep her away from Manjoume, I decided.

"My order is that you go jump off a cliff," I said. Then I rose, taking Haruko's hand and pulling her up, as well. "Come on, Haruko. Honestly, you can do better than him."

"Fuyu-chan!" she cried in surprise, causing my heart to flutter while my stomach churned simultaneously.

Why did I have to be so nervous around women?

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

As Fuyuko dragged Haruko away, Manjoume smiled and called, "I take it this means I really _won't_ be getting tipped!?"

Fuyuko didn't answer, just walking off with Haruko. Honestly, if he liked her that much, why didn't he just start dating her already?

But, still, what had Manjoume been doing?

I stared after the two of them for a bit before turning to Manjoume and asking, "What the heck, Manjoume?"

He crossed his arms. "Hmph. What are you doing here, you idiot?" he asked instead of answering. "I thought you were hiding from Ai?"

Not talking about it, huh? I got the message—don't tell anybody about this.

"Yeah, well, Kenzan thought he'd found me a girlfriend, so he dragged me out here. Then we ran into Ai."

* * *

 **Kenzan's POV**

Aniki had warned us about the things Ai did, just in case we were her next victims. With that in mind, I couldn't help but worry about what she was doing. So I followed her all the way back to the resort, where she went to her room and locked herself in.

Now even more worried, I pressed my ear against the door, trying to hear what she was doing. While I listened, I pulled out my phone, ready to call Aniki and warn him ASAP.

I heard what sounded like a book hitting something hard, along with some other strange noises.

Seeing as I couldn't figure out what was going on, I called Aniki. We'd made him give us his number during this whole thing, figuring that it would be best to have a way of getting in touch with him fast if anything happened.

Something about all of this just didn't seem right to me.

As I waited for Aniki to answer, I kept listening to Ai. Was it just me, or was she speaking in some bizarre language?

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

"You ran into Ai? Where is she now?" Manjoume asked.

Before I could answer, my phone went off. Seeing as I only ever got calls when something was wrong, I figured it involved Ai, so I answered.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Aniki, get out of there now!" Kenzan whispered. When had he left? "She's up to something, and it sounds like spell preparation!"

Damn it! They'd both left while I was distracted!

"Crap!" I hung up my phone without another word and ran for it, knowing exactly what Ai had planned for me.

"Hey! Where are you going!? What's wrong!?" Manjoume asked, running after me.

What was wrong was I was about to be left with nothing but the beach and the resort!

As I ran toward the town, Yubel pointed up to the sky, looking horrified. _"Judai! Look!"_

Oh, great. What was I looking at? Did I really want to know?

Even as I looked, I knew the answer to that last question: no. I didn't.


	13. Betrayal?

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

What I saw was the four Monarchs from my field trip in Domino City. They'd had this island circled for the past two weeks, keeping me trapped here. Worse, three of them were getting up and closing in. The only one that wasn't moving was already where Ai wanted it—near the resort's beach. With the other three moving toward the beach, I knew exactly what the plan was. Trapping me on the beach wasn't just a threat anymore—Ai wanted to make it a reality.

On the plus side, the barrier couldn't be maintained when they were moving, apparently. I swear I saw the barrier fizzle for a second as it disappeared.

I had until they settled into their new positions to get away. If I could just get past them, I'd be out of the barrier's range, and Ai wouldn't be able to keep me here anymore.

Needless to say, I ran for it, heading straight for the oncoming Monarchs.

Manjoume's gaze shot up, too, as his eyes widened. "Oh, crap. Hey! Hurry up over there! You're running out of time!" he called to me.

As if I couldn't see that!

 _Yeah, thanks for the update, Manjoume!_

If I hadn't needed all my breath for running, I might have said that out loud.

I ran off the beach just as the Monarchs reached it, so I was running straight between two of them as they reached their destination. Standing on the road on the other side, I watched Thestalos and Mobius settle into their new spots, trapping nobody this time.

I was free. And I didn't even need to get a stupid girlfriend. Good. Girls were nothing but trouble, if Ai and Asuka were any indication. Granted, ships typically docked at the resort, which I couldn't get to, and the airport seemed to be a part of their new enclosure, so I couldn't just catch a plane out of here.

Guess it was a good thing that so many of my friends were rich and had their own private helicopters, yachts, and jets.

Manjoume caught up to me as I was catching my breath. "Geez…" he breathed. "That…was close…" He straightened up and crossed his arms, adding, "I swear. That girl's just plain cruel sometimes."

"Yeah…" I said.

"So, now what? The barrier's in the wrong place to trap you, so you should be able to get away now, right?"

"Yeah, if I can find transportation or wanna swim for it."

Seriously, if nobody could get me a ride _that day_ , I'd gladly start swimming.

Manjoume gave me a lame look. Made sense, I guess, since I'd just made it sound like that would be tough. I mean, he was one of the guys with his own private jet, helicopter, yacht, and probably even a spaceship, for all I knew.

"Really, Judai? You seriously think _that's_ gonna be a problem? _Surely_ you didn't forget how rich _some_ of us are, now, did you?"

Well… Okay, yeah. At the time, I admit, I forgot.

"If that's the case, then get me out of here!" I said, turning to him.

 _"_ _Uh, Judai? I…don't think that's gonna work…"_ Yubel said, looking up again. Her eyes were the size of pinheads.

Ugh, seriously? What was going on now? And _why_!?

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

To answer Judai's question, I had opened my door after moving the barrier and found Kenzan right outside, with his phone in hand. I _was_ going to go get Judai, but Kenzan's presence, worried expression, and hasty hiding of his phone told me he'd probably just reported something to Judai.

Obviously I needed to do something, just in case I'd somehow lost my target.

I called for my guards, telling them to teach this "peeping tom" a lesson. Part of the reason was to get revenge on him for interfering. The other part was to stop him from warning Judai about what I was about to do.

Just in case he'd gotten away, I decided I needed to expand the barrier again. I did the math, calculating exactly how far Judai could have gotten in the time since I'd started working on moving the barrier. After a moment, I was sure of just how far he could have gone. I didn't need to expand the barrier to cover the entire island again. He couldn't have gotten to the other side by now, even if he _was_ still on the move. I expanded the barrier just enough to trap him in the nearer locations, certain that would be enough.

Honestly, his friends were making this much more difficult.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Manjoume and I both looked up slowly. The Monarchs were getting up again, spreading out some. Great. Had she found Kenzan?

Thestalos and Mobius were heading my way again as the barrier extended.

"…Move. Now," Manjoume said.

I didn't need to be told twice. I ran for it, but the Monarchs were faster. They were passing me before I knew it.

 _"_ _Summon Neos!"_ Yubel suggested. _"Hurry before those guys up ahead settle in!"_

By this point, those Monarchs were about two American football fields away, nearing the edge of town.

Well, Neos wouldn't be much help if Ai was planning on surrounding the whole island again, but I summoned him, anyway. I mean, maybe I _could_ still get out of here.

Any fears that they were going for the whole island vanished as soon as I saw them start settling in at the edge of town. Great, so I wasn't even going to get the chance to go to town? That wasn't much better than being trapped on the beach!

Without any command, Neos picked me up and flew full-speed at the Monarchs, trying to get there before the barrier reformed.

We almost made it. In fact, we were so close that we got stuck halfway through the barrier. It started trying to suck us back inside as Neos kept fighting to get through. Unfortunately the barrier must have been tougher because it pulled us back in. It probably didn't help that I was using my powers at the time, so my Duel Monster half was more dominant just then. So, in the end, we both got sucked back in. The force threw us back toward the beach, sending us flying through the air.

The landing…wasn't going to be fun.

* * *

 **Manjoume's POV**

As I watched, Judai and Neos were sucked back inside and flung toward the beach. I followed their flight path with my eyes, watching them arc over my head before they crash-landed on the beach.

I ran over, worried. I mean, a trip like that could break a person's bones easily! And we wouldn't even be able to get the guy to a hospital, thanks to that Ai! Damn it!

When I got there, Judai was sitting up, which was a good sign. After all, he could move. What _wasn't_ good was that he was attracting a crowd. I mean, obviously! A guy flying through the air with a Duel Monster? Not exactly something these people saw every day. From the looks on their faces, those people were confused and concerned, but who knew what else they were thinking. Hopefully his reputation as a traveling hero would help Judai out a bit with this. That or Sho's dumb books about our adventures at Duel Academy.

Yeah, after graduation, Sho wrote books about our adventures! No joke! Just like Sugoroku Muto had written a book about his grandson's adventures. Did _every_ dueling hero need a book? First we had a guy with an ancient Egyptian pharaoh and some 10,000-year-old evil, then our adventures in other dimensions. What was next, a book by some third-rate reporter about motorcycle-riding duelists fighting the dead and people from the future?

Judai was rubbing his head, and Yubel was leaning over him, looking concerned. _Just_ concerned? What the hell was that guy made of!?

 _"_ _Judai? You okay?"_ she asked.

A damn good question. And, if the answer was yes, then the next question was _how_!?

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Okay, that hurt. A lot. It probably would have been worse if not for that fusion—fusing with Yubel had made me stronger, physically, but it had also made it so that I could take more of a beating before any serious damage was done.

Granted, it still hurt bad enough to knock the sense out of me for a second.

 _Yeah, I think,_ I answered Yubel's question. "Ugh…"

She pointed back toward town and said, _"Judai. Look…"_

I seriously didn't think I wanted to, but I did anyway. Sure enough, I _didn't_ want to. The Monarchs were sitting on the edge of town, keeping me from going anywhere farther than a little over 200 meters from the beach. There was no way I'd be getting back to the Tenjoins' villa now.

"…Crap…"

Now I was stuck with either the resort hotel for shelter…or maybe a cave somewhere in the cliffs, if I was lucky. Hmm… Dry and near Ai, or wet and safe?

Easy choice.

* * *

 **Manjoume's POV**

I reached Judai, getting down in front of him and holding up four fingers. At first glance, he looked fine. Dusty, but unharmed. But that couldn't be! I mean, at the very least, he _had_ to have hit his head pretty hard, right? At least gotten a concussion.

"Hey, you alright? How many fingers do you see?" I asked.

Judai looked at my hand for a second, then answered, "Four?"

I crossed my arms, totally lost. Apparently injuring Judai was impossible now! Guess he probably preferred that to getting stuck in the infirmary for days after one fierce duel. Why, I bet even getting blasted into a wall by a live dragon wouldn't hurt him!

"Good," I said. "No injuries. One second." I glared at the crowd, thinking that the last thing we needed was some fool calling and reporting this in. "Okay! Nothing to see here! Move along! Unless, of course, you want sued by _the_ Manjoume Thunder, that is."

Clearly they weren't brainless because the crowd dispersed. They must have known that my threats meant something. Besides, I could cover up anything. There's nothing that can't be explained with the right amount of money, after all.

For the record, the world found that out when somebody reported that Kenzan was a mutant after he'd fought some mugger with his dinosaur strength. I guess his eyes changed in the middle of it, and this guy was freaked out. However, in the end, Kenzan was proven to be completely normal, and the guy who reported him to the authorities was sued for all he was worth.

If you're wondering how I do it, O'Brien comes in handy. So do Akiko and Fuyuko, who I met awhile back and started using to dig up dirt on my enemies.

Anyway, since that matter was handled, I turned my attention back to Judai and said, "So what was that all about, anyway? I thought you had it that time."

"Guess not," Judai said, getting to his feet.

"Great. So now what? I hear it's supposed to be cold tonight. Can you get anywhere warm to sleep?"

Judai looked around, saying, "I'm sure I can find somewhere…"

Not reassuring. Knowing Judai, that could easily mean he'd be lying on the beach in plain view of Ai _and_ exposed to the elements. Guess I had no choice but to help him.

"What's off in that direction?" I asked, pointing toward the cliffs.

"Cliffs."

Well, no duh! I could see that, you idiot! Seriously, how dumb _was_ this guy? Did he not know what _else_ might have been there?

I gave him a lame look, sarcastically asking, "And is there a cave over there, too? I know some places like that have at least one."

Knowing Judai, he probably didn't know that. Even though anybody else in the world would have given me a more intelligent answer than "cliffs."

"I dunno. Let's go check!" Judai answered, running off.

I followed, still a bit annoyed with the idiot. Seriously, if you want to hide from Ai, you have to look _everywhere_. I'd hidden in dumpsters and drain pipes to escape her before! Hell, one time, I went into a beauty parlor dressed as a woman! So why had Judai avoided the cliffs if he'd been here alone with her for two weeks? Was he _really_ that stupid?

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

As I scanned the beach, hoping that Judai hadn't escaped me, I thought about just how big of a nuisance those friends of his were becoming. Surely _they_ were the reason that he'd disappeared earlier. One of them must have been hiding him! Well, with any luck, shrinking the barrier had dealt with that little issue, at least.

I saw him and Manjoume, and I was immensely relieved. I hadn't lost him!

I ran over, calling his name as I did.

Manjoume turned to face me, annoyed. Like he needed to be—I wasn't interested in _him._ "Oh, not _you_ again," he said.

"Yes, me again!" I said. "What, you thought you could lose me?" I asked Judai as I stepped between him and Manjoume. "Silly, Judai! You're my one and only! We're meant to be together, and we _will_ be!"

When I moved between them, Manjoume stepped back in surprise. Then he crossed his arms, annoyed.

"Oh, just go away, Ai!" Judai snapped.

Like I was doing that.

"Judai, you are coming with me. Now," I said firmly.

"I'd rather not, thanks very much."

"Then we have a problem. Because I won't accept that!"

I grabbed him by the arm. Manjoume's eyes widened, and he moved forward as if to grab me.

"Let's go!" I said.

" _Let_ go!" Judai countered, pulling away from me.

I held on tight. "Not happening, Judai! Quit being so stubborn!"

Suddenly a very familiar thing happened—Manjoume whacked me over the head. He did that every time I touched _him_ , and now he was doing it when I touched _Judai_? Really?

While I was still dazed, he grabbed Judai's shoulders and pulled him to his other side, away from me. He was still glaring at me, and the way he was still holding Judai made him look quite a bit like a child hogging their toy.

"See, this is why I like Haruko better!" he snapped. " _She's_ not a low-down _slime_ ball like you! Come on, Judai! Let's get out of here!" He started pushing Judai away, watching me over his shoulder.

"Oh… I'll have you yet, Judai!" I said, clutching my sore head.

"Yeah, yeah," Manjoume said as he kept going with Judai. Mumbling, he added, "When all hell freezes over."

Oh, I'd have him before then, Manjoume. You couldn't stop me. After all, _you_ weren't about to become his lover.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Well, Manjoume had gotten Ai off me. Even if the way he did it _did_ make me wonder how many times he'd done that.

"Thanks, Manjoume," I said as he kept pushing me away from her.

"Yeah, yeah. Shut it. I'm only doing it 'cause it's Ai, and _nobody_ deserves to suffer at _her_ hands. Not even you."

Before all of this, I might have taken that the wrong way. But this was Manjoume we were talking about! He'd shown up to help, and he wouldn't have if he didn't care. He just never liked to admit that to anyone. Sometimes I wonder if he even admitted it to himself.

"Thanks," I repeated after translating that statement.

Just then Kenzan came running over, covered from head to toe in bruises and cuts. His clothes were torn up and bloody, too. But the way he was acting, you'd think he was totally fine. Was he seriously so worried about me that he was ignoring his own well-being? Man, that's twice in one day these guys had shown me how much they cared.

But…that didn't tell me who had done this to him. I mean, Ai wasn't capable of beating somebody up like that! Unless she really _was_ royalty and had some guards beat him up… Oh, man! That would mean Manjoume would be seriously in trouble for hitting her, even if it _was_ in self-defense! Okay, he was defending _me_ , but still! Why wasn't he worried about that!?

"Aniki! You okay!?" Kenzan asked.

Manjoume finally let go, crossing his arms. "Hmph. Yeah, he's okay. No thanks to Ai, that is."

He was glaring over his shoulder as he spoke, so he really _wasn't_ worried. Okay, either Ai wasn't really a princess and something _else_ had happened to Kenzan, or he just didn't think she'd get him in trouble for hitting her. Either way, if he wasn't worried, I figured I shouldn't be, either.

"Yeah," I said to Kenzan. "Don't worry, Kenzan. I'm fine."

He smiled, looking relieved. But the bruises on his face distorted it. Did he even realize he was a huge mess? Or did he seriously not care? "That's good. 'Cause, for a while there, I thought Ai's plan had succeeded. She tried shrinking the barrier again, you know."

Oh, yeah, I knew.

Manjoume turned away from both of us, confusing Kenzan.

"Yeah, I know," I said. "In fact, she, uh…did."

Kenzan's eyes popped out of his head. "What!?"

"I can't get back to Fubuki's now."

"W-what!? You—you mean she—"

"Uh-huh."

"Wow… You gonna be okay?" Kenzan asked, apparently feeling sorry for me.

To this day, I find it amazing that he didn't even seem to care that he looked like road kill.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I assured him.

"Ha!" Asuka's voice said. "Yeah, sure you will. Serves you right, if you ask me. You're a disgrace to everyone you know! Right, Ai?"

I turned and saw her supporting Ai, who had a wet towel on her head.

And Asuka sounded furious.

What was going on here?

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

Wow, Judai. Way to lead into my part of the story.

What was going on was that I had been looking for the "flying man and monster" that were "under Manjoume Thunder's protection" that everybody on the island had been talking about. What I'd found instead was Ai with a nasty bump on her head. For the sake of my act, I had to pretend I cared, so my search for Judai had ended with Ai.

I asked her what had happened, and she told me about Kenzan spying on her, what she'd done with Judai (which easily explained the flying man and monster bit, given that he probably tried to get away), and about Manjoume clubbing her _again._

Okay, with that in mind, I had to avoid all three of them when Ai was around. If I didn't, I'd either have to blow my cover or look like a traitor. Oh, well. The resort's beach was big enough that I figured I could easily avoid them. Especially since they weren't going to be heading back to the resort.

With that in mind, I borrowed a towel from somebody else on the beach, soaked it in the ocean, and told Ai to keep it on that bump. Then I helped her up and started back to the resort with her, thinking that Manjoume needed to stop doing this. Not that she didn't _deserve_ it, but I had to take her side for the sake of this stupid act.

Of course, as you've already figured out, I _couldn't_ avoid those three. Not only did I find one of them, I found all _three_ of them just moments after finding Ai! Really, couldn't they have had the decency to have gotten as far away from her as possible after spying on her and hitting her?

This wasn't going to be pretty. Since Judai was talking, I decided to unleash my false rage on him first. He's already told you what I said, so I, fortunately, don't have to repeat it.

When I was speaking to Judai, my act sounded real, even to me. Then I switched over to a gentle tone when talking to Ai, smiling at her.

"Uh-huh…" she agreed.

I turned a glare back to Judai and saw him looking around, as if he thought there was somebody else I was talking to. "Are you talking to me?" he asked, looking confused.

Well, of _course_! Who else could I possibly have been talking to!? He was the only one who had said anything that could get such a reaction!

I let go of Ai and crossed my arms, giving Judai a look of pure hate. One thing was for sure—being mad at these guys was _way_ too easy. "Well, duh. Who _else_ would I be talking to, you idiot? It's not like there are any _other_ properly punished creeps around here, right?"

The hurt in his eyes was clear, and I'd been expecting _some_ degree of pain on his face after a remark like that. But he looked more like he'd just been stabbed in the back. Were my words really that mean?

"…What…?" he asked. His voice was barely audible, and there was way more pain in that one word than I really wanted to cause him.

Clearly it was time to lighten the blow. I mean, I hadn't expected that kind of intense reaction. Maybe getting on the other two would help. Manjoume should really stop hitting royalty, anyway! He could get himself thrown in jail for it one of these days! Or worse!

So, with that in mind, I turned my glare on Manjoume. Once again, this was way too easy. Was I just good at being mad…and was it at all related to why everyone thought I was mean? I decided that, yes, it was, and that I should work on that when we were done here.

"And, Manjoume, how _dare_ you attack Ai like that! No _wonder_ she keeps telling other girls you're no good for them! Why, with _that_ in mind, I'd feel so much better if you left my poor friend Momoe alone. She doesn't need an abusing, trash-talking monster in her life, either!"

Oh, the words spewing from my mouth! That was worse than what I'd said to Judai! Granted, I'd been trying to make it look like I was angrier with Manjoume than Judai, like usual. After all, I'd always been nastier to Manjoume in school, so Judai should be feeling better if I did it again, right?

"Say what!?" Manjoume asked, and I was glad to hear that he seemed more confused and insulted than anything else. "Tenjoin-kun, she was—"

Well, that was one down. Now, if I just said the right things to Kenzan, that mysterious look of betrayal on Judai's face should leave. After all, I was yelling at all three of them for being jerks, so that should make it look like I just didn't like how they had treated Ai.

Well, okay, I'd only snapped at Judai because of that stupid cover story I had about hating him. The one that Ai actually believed. But he certainly didn't need to know about _that_. Not with the look he was already giving me.

That reminded me: I needed to talk to Kyle and Junko about that later so that they could join the act. Ugh, how did I get myself into this mess?

I cut Manjoume off, turning to Kenzan. "And, _you_ , Dino-breath! What were you doing spying on her like that!? You should be ashamed."

"B-but I was just—"

I turned away with a scowl, crossing my arms.

Now for the final part of my act: Pretend I hated all men. That would make me yelling at three at once look like nothing. It wasn't like I hadn't had my fair share of jerks: Mitsuru, Kanda, Manjoume, Mitsuo, my brother and his new friend, and, of course, _Judai Yuki_. So at least I had an excuse to hate men.

"Save it," I said. "Ai was right about you _guys_. Can't live with them, and you most _definitely_ can't begin to trust them. You're all the same. Heart-breaking, abusive, perverted jerks."

There. One harsh word for each. Kenzan's spying could look perverted if you ignored the fact that he was trying to help Judai. Manjoume's insistent need to hit royalty when they touched him _did_ look abusive. And the heartbreaking… Well, it matched what I'd told Ai about him never acknowledging my feelings… _ever_.

I took hold of Ai again, scowling at those three men. This gave me the chance I needed to look at Judai and see if he'd cooled off any.

Kenzan looked shocked and confused, and Manjoume looked angry, confused, and offended.

But Judai…

The hurt and betrayal in his eyes hadn't gone anywhere. If anything, they'd intensified. He also looked insanely guilty. But that wasn't all. On top of all of that, there was something completely new on his face. Something I'd never seen, and never _want_ to see again: A look as though his worst fears had been confirmed.

…What in the world was _that_ look about? Was it _that_ wrong for me to be mad at three jerks for mistreating my new "friend"? Honestly, ever since that whole thing with Yubel, that man made no sense!

Regardless of all of that, I had to deal with Ai first. When I was done with that, I'd have to get Kyle and Junko filled in on the story so they could keep themselves from blowing it. _Then_ I could go track down Judai and ask him about it. Not that I expected him to give me an _answer_ , but I still had to try.

"Come on, Ai," I said, closing my eyes and turning my nose up at those three as I dragged her off. "Let's get you looked at. Later, creeps. Hmph!"

Besides the fact that it looked nasty enough to complete my act, I'd closed my eyes because looking at Judai for too long right then could drive the world's happiest person to commit suicide. Seriously, what _was_ he? The world's biggest drama queen? I'd been worse to Manjoume, for crying out loud!

Honestly, this whole thing had gotten totally out of control. I really wished Ai hadn't caught onto me after that one incident. Maybe I could have just gone home and forgotten about all of this if she hadn't. But, sadly, Ai was left with the impression that I'd be sticking around to keep an eye on her, so I had to stay.

Next time, I was coming up with a better cover story. Assuming, of course, that there _would_ be a next time. You never could tell with Judai, after all.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

She hated me. That was all there was to it. Last time we talked, we wound up fighting with each other. Then, the next time I saw her, she was yelling at me, even though I hadn't done anything. Sure, she yelled at Manjoume, but he'd hit Ai. And, sure, she'd gotten on Kenzan, but he'd been spying. All I'd done was get found by my stalker! How did that deserve punishment!?

"Tenjoin-kun!" Manjoume called, still sounding insulted.

Yeah, he could take this lightly. She yelled at _him_ all the time, after all.

He turned to Kenzan and me, demanding, "What the hell was that!?"

 _"_ _Judai? You okay?"_ Yubel asked, sounding concerned.

Was I okay? _Was I okay?_ How could I have been okay after _that_!?

"…Oh, yeah," I said. "Course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Even I wasn't convinced.

Kenzan stared after Asuka and Ai as they disappeared in the crowd. He looked totally lost. Again, he could take this lightly— _he_ hadn't given her any reason to hate him, after all.

"That was definitely weird," he said. "When did she change sides, anyway?"

Manjoume crossed his arms and scowled, his eyes closed.

I didn't have an answer for Kenzan.

 _"_ _It's okay,"_ Yubel said, sounding a bit gentler than usual. _"It wasn't just you she yelled at. Look around. She was mad at all_ three _of you, see?"_

 _But why's she on Ai's side?_ I asked.

 _"_ _Beats me. I don't have a clue,"_ Yubel said, and I could practically see her shrugging.

That didn't make me feel any better.

"Well, come on, Kenzan," Manjoume said, sounding neutral. "We better go tell the others about this. Good luck, you idiot. Later."

He started walking off. Kenzan hesitated a bit, looking at me in concern before following. He looked like he didn't really want to leave, but…maybe he finally realized he needed to get those wounds of his treated. I mean, he looked worse than I did after getting blasted into a wall by dragons.

So, just like that, they left me there alone. I knew why they were doing it—to tell the others what was going on and to get Kenzan's wounds treated. I could understand those reasons…if that was _really_ all they were doing. But I didn't give that anymore thought. After all, I didn't need abandoned by another of my friends for unknown reasons…even if I did deserve it, after everything I'd done to them…

I know I had already gotten plenty of hints that those two cared, but one time of hearing Asuka rip me to shreds had been enough to get me doubting the others, too. I mean, like them, Asuka had come all this way to help me. Yet she'd changed sides. If she would do that, who was to say the others wouldn't, too? Who was to say I wasn't reading too much into their coming to help me?

I stood there long enough to worry Winged Kuriboh, who appeared from my deck, looking at me in concern. _"Kuri?"_

I didn't say anything, which made Winged Kuriboh start waving around and kuriing frantically. He perched on my shoulder and rubbed against my face, trying to soothe the blow of being abandoned and betrayed by somebody who had every right to hate me.

It wasn't like I had a right to be upset. I mean, it was my fault, after all.

 _"_ _Hey. It's okay. We're used to this, aren't we?"_ Yubel asked, sounding concerned. She was being gentle and gave me a sweet smile.

She was probably talking about sleeping outside. At the time, though, my mind was in other places, so I was thinking about how I was used to being abandoned by my friends. The guys I knew back home before Yubel scared them all off; O'Brien, Jim, and Sho in Dark World; and, of course, the way things ended in high school.

"…Yeah…"

Yubel gave me a lame look and sounded annoyed when she said, _"It ended six years ago. And she hasn't seen you since. Why would she be—"_

"So we even ended our friendship back then?" I asked.

She stared at me for a bit, then crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Scolding me, she said, _"Well, you left, and—"_

Scolding me? Right _now_!? Why!?

"But that note!" I cut her off, thinking of the piece of paper I'd found in my bag when I'd left Duel Academy. It had left me with the impression that the people who'd signed it still cared, after all. And Asuka was one of them. "How was I supposed to know this would happen!? That note made it seem like she still wanted to be friends!"

 _"_ _Well, maybe she did when she wrote it."_

I thought about that for a moment, then asked, "So what changed…?"

Yubel shrugged and said, _"I don't know. But, maybe, that earlier argument you two had holds some clues."_

Winged Kuriboh looked at me with concern again as I thought about that conversation.

 ** _"_** _ **You didn't understand the word 'fiancé,' and any**_ **duels** _ **we had on the subject, you—"**_

She was angry and annoyed when she said that.

 ** _"_** _ **Why'd you leave Duel Academy like that?"**_

She was upset, maybe even hurt, when she asked that.

 ** _"_** _ **Not much. Staying out of trouble, for**_ **one** _ **thing."**_

She was accusatory and mad.

 ** _"_** _ **What's Kyle got to do with this!? You don't even know him! And, besides, it's not our fault you love walking into people's traps like this!"**_

And _that_ was defensive and accusatory, like she was just _trying_ to find reasons to be mad at me after I'd been a jerk about her boyfriend, who was, apparently, a great guy.

Well, those were the clues. And they held one simple answer.

"…Yeah. She hates me…"

 _"_ _Come on,"_ Winged Kuriboh said. _"That can't be true!"_

"Then why is she acting like that?" I asked.

Yubel put a hand to her chin, looking thoughtful. _"Hmm. Good point. Maybe it has something to do with her talk with Ai."_

Well, that didn't make me feel any better, either.

I wound up just standing there on the beach for the longest time, too lost in thought to even consider moving. After an hour, Yubel gave up on trying to talk to me. Winged Kuriboh eventually let me be, too.

This day…had really sucked.


	14. A Long Night

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

I'm not gonna lie to you: I was totally smashed. Like, cross-dressing, running in high heels, driving a semi at 100 miles an hour through town wasted. In other words, I probably shouldn't have been allowed to be alone. But I wasn't exactly alone—I had my date that I'd picked up at the resort's club. Sure, there were other places I could go for a good time, but they were all missing one very important thing: that cute waitress, Lisa. And, that night, smashed or not, I'd scored.

Yeah, that's right. I got Lisa to go out with me. First we were going to the public beach for a dirty swim. After that, we were heading to Fubuki's private beach for the _real_ fun. I'd told her I'd go in and get some pillows and a blanket, but I doubted we'd use them.

So, yeah. I was totally drunk and about to go sleep with a cute waitress. Akiko and Fuyuko would say that was typical of me, adding in that I at least knew her name.

My excuse for not noticing Judai when I passed him? Well…I was distracted and drunk. But I'd notice him later.

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

I took Ai back to her room, where I helped her treat her wound. Then, pretending to worry about her, I refused to leave. Seriously! Thanks to how horribly Ai was treating my _real_ friend Judai, I'd just yelled at three of my friends at the same time! And _one_ of them had reacted so horribly that you'd think I'd just killed his firstborn or something! But I was stuck in this stupid act, so I had to make it convincing.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay now?" I asked. "'Cause I could always sleep over with you, if you're not."

I was really hoping she'd say she was fine. I mean, I still had to go tell Kyle and Junko what they had to do from now on so that they didn't blow it and put us all in danger again. Equally as important, I had to talk to Judai without Ai there and try to find out what was wrong with him. Because I had to keep it secret from Ai, I needed to distract her long enough to get that guy somewhere more private.

Maybe I could let him in on the secret if he promised not to tell the others. After all, most of them were major gossips, and some got nervous when presented with such a dangerous secret. If one of _those_ ones found out, they might slip up and tell Ai the truth. After that, Ai would realize that Judai knew how to get that barrier down and would isolate him completely, likely kidnap and rape him, and _I_ might end up the bait for that! I mean, it was risky enough even telling Judai, given his desire to involve others in his business. If he thought they needed to know, he'd tell them in a heartbeat! But, with the way he was acting, I probably didn't have a choice.

Why did it seem like Judai's main goal in life was to make _mine_ difficult and miserable?

"I'm fine," Ai said, much to my relief. "Don't worry about it, Asuka."

"If you say so…" I said, rubbing an arm as I stood in the doorway.

Being a good friend to this little bitch was difficult. For starters, I hated her! But, if I didn't try hard enough to act like I liked her, she'd get suspicious. On the other hand, if I tried too hard, Ai might decide to make me stick around, and I'd miss my chance to deal with the rest of my business for the day. Honestly, if _this_ was what happened when Judai finally reappeared after six years, maybe it would have been better if he'd just stayed gone.

"Don't worry about me," Ai said with a smile. "I'm tougher than I look."

I laughed, taking that as my cue to stop pretending to worry. "Well, okay, then! See you in the morning?" I turned to leave, smiling over my shoulder.

"Yeah, see you!"

Good. Now I could go fill Kyle and Junko in, then find some way to keep Ai away from Judai long enough to tell him. Hopefully he could keep his big mouth shut, no matter how miserable the others were at my "betrayal."

"Great. Take it easy, okay? Night!" I headed out to deal with my little issue.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

"Night!" I said as Asuka left.

I was wrong about her. She had changed since last time Judai had seen her. Back in high school, she'd been worried about his sudden change, but she hadn't known what to do about it. Since she couldn't find a way to fix things, she'd just let things get worse and worse. When he'd left without even saying goodbye, it must have broken her heart. Her other excuses left me curious about her true motives at first, but she wasn't lying about hating Judai. I was sure about that one. With that in mind, she wasn't likely to help him. In fact, with that hatred, she was more likely to help _me_ , whether she meant to or not.

I went to bed, mindful of the bump Manjoume had given me… _again_. That was the thousandth time. Maybe it was time I told someone about that man. Then again, they couldn't punish him without upsetting Judai, and that wasn't something I wanted to do. I wanted him to like me, after all.

* * *

 **Fubuki's POV**

When Kenzan and Manjoume came back that evening, they brought bad tidings. Kenzan, obviously, didn't have any good news, given how he looked. In fact, he was so bad off that Akiko Tokugawa, the girl known for her coarse attitude, dragged him to the bathroom to treat his wounds. I couldn't blame her, since he _did_ look like he'd been through a blender, but _Akiko_!? She didn't care about anyone, the last time I checked!

But even worse than the looks of Kenzan was the news Manjoume had. His news also explained Kenzan's current state of…uh, skinlessness.

Sitting on the couch, Sho's eyes bugged out. " _What!?_ She didn't!"

"Afraid it's true. Judai's stuck on the beach with that creep, completely vulnerable. It's only a matter of time until Ai gets him in bed with her."

"Then why is nobody out there with him?" Jim asked, looking concerned.

Akiko poked her head out of the bathroom, having heard everything we were saying over the water running in the sink. "I was gonna say, it only takes one to deliver a message."

As I'm sure we all saw coming, Sho cried, "I'm off!" as he got up and bolted out the door.

It was one of those things you could have blinked and missed.

Johan, apparently, _did_. He stared at the door for a bit, stunned. "Somehow I don't think that's a problem anymore…" he said, sweating.

Kenzan came out of the bathroom, carrying a first aid kit. Apparently he didn't want to be kept out of the conversation. Relentless as always, Akiko followed him, carrying a cloth that I could only guess was soaked in alcohol. Clearly he wouldn't be getting out of her treatment that easily.

"Well, we would have if he didn't act like he needed to be alone at that moment," Kenzan said, sitting down in the walkway. "I mean, with Asuka turning traitor and all."

Wait, what!? Asuka had turned traitor!? No, that wasn't possible! She just wouldn't!

Akiko sat down next to Kenzan and went back to work, as though my sister turning traitor wasn't at all surprising or worthy of concern! She wasn't even reacting!

My eyes bugged out, and I sat forward quickly, staring at Kenzan in disbelief. "What'd you say!?"

Ryo mimicked me in all but the bug-eyes. He looked just as horror-struck as I felt. "You can't be serious."

Manjoume crossed his arms, glaring. Oh, no! Clearly this wasn't just a sick joke if _Manjoume_ was agreeing with it! "Hmph. Oh, it's true, alright. She was last seen helping Ai out after I clogged her in the head for yet _another_ of her attempted rapes. Although, _this_ time, she was after Judai."

So…she had helped Ai…after Ai had been stopped from violating someone? That was an awful thing for Manjoume to say about her, and he _never_ did that! What the hell was going on!?

As Akiko rubbed Kenzan's arms clean with alcohol, I decided that he must have been made of steel because he didn't so much as flinch. And he spoke of my sister's betrayal without any pain when he said, "Yeah! And then Asuka came over with her and yelled at all three of us!" He pointed at himself, adding, "Me for trying to warn Aniki of Ai's plan…"

Well, he looked to be in emotional pain, if not physical.

Angry, Manjoume pointed at himself as he continued the story. "Me for clubbing the bitch, and Judai for who knows _what_ reason," he said, throwing his arms up in the air. He crossed his arms. "Knew sending her out on a mission to collect information from Ai was a bad idea."

…This was unbelievable… Asuka had turned traitor. We had the information we needed, but Asuka wasn't with us where she would be safe, and she hadn't left, either. Instead, she was hanging out with Ai and viciously yelling at her friends for standing up to Ai. What could have triggered that?

No… No, it—it couldn't have been that Ai had somehow gotten Asuka to admit her _true_ feelings about Judai. Could it?

"That doesn't seem right…" Fuyuko said.

Akiko tore Kenzan's ruined shirt off him once she'd finished with his bare legs and arms, carrying on with her treatment. Kenzan, meanwhile, started wrapping bandages around his arms.

"Geez, some friend _she_ turned out to be," Akiko said. "No wonder Judai ran off without saying goodbye."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Was she trying to imply that it was _our_ fault that Judai had taken off without a word? But we hadn't done anything to him! He was just a mystery wrapped in a puzzle! There was no way to tell what he was thinking most of the time!

Kenzan stopped everything he was doing and turned to the accusing blond. "Wait, what?" Getting defensive and offended, he pointed at her, then himself as he said, " _You_ think it was _our_ faults or something? Aniki's always been that way!" He crossed his arms, closing his eyes. "Headstrong and mysterious. Who knows what goes on in that head of his sometimes!"

Good defense, Kenzan! And it was exactly what I'd been thinking, too.

"Yeah, mysterious is right," Manjoume added. "Why else would he suddenly decide to stand up to my brothers first year?"

"So he _wanted_ to lose touch with you guys? That's funny, considering he used to drag you guys around everywhere. And he's not that big of a mystery. He likes dueling and cares about people. What's so mysterious about that?"

Did she really think he was that easy to read? But she didn't even know him! Who was she to tell us we'd done something wrong?

"Why'd he care what my brothers did to me?" Manjoume asked. "Last I checked, he hated me, like everyone else did back then! Where'd _that_ sudden burst of 'caring' come from? Can _you_ explain it!?"

Well, that was another Heart-Tugging Point for Judai! He was nice to someone the whole school hated! Man, he was such a good guy…until third year. He had even been worried about me when I used Darkness to try to get through to Ryo when he turned Hell Kaiser, and we never even hung out back then! What a great guy he used to be!

…So what had changed?

"You're right about him, in the past," Ryo said, "but let's face facts. He's changed. Sure, he still loves to help others, but he's nowhere near as easy to read as he used to be. For one, when Sho was dueling with my deck, he just took off out of nowhere there at the end. That's not something I'd ever think he'd do. So where did that come from? Well?"

What? He'd even walked out on _Sho_!? But the guy had been his best friend since first year, he'd nearly killed himself looking for Judai during their second year, _and_ he worshipped the ground he walked on! Why walk out on a guy like that!?

"Whatever happened in that other dimension's what changed him," Akiko decided. "Because he changed when he came back."

"Yeah, I know," Kenzan agreed. "But I still don't understand why. Stuff like that's usually just water off a duck's back with him, but…" He looked down.

They were right. Looking back, Judai had been fine before Yubel took Johan hostage, so what happened in Dark World must have been the cause. So what was it? That hellish tale Sho had written about, _The Terrors of Haou_? The fusion with Yubel? Or was there something else that I was missing? Some of that was still a blur to me. Could that missing information hold the answers I needed?

If only I could remember it. Even Sho didn't know. He wrote about a sacrifice in his book, and I remember that clearly enough simply because of where I wound up because of it, but the details of what happened _before_ I wound up in that hellish place are shrouded in fog.

Hadn't I been in anguish for some reason?

"Well, anyway, there isn't much we can do about that now," Johan said. "What's done is done, and we've got other problems to work out right now. Like why Asuka changed sides, or finding a way to stop Ai."

As usual, he was right. Ai was a menace, and Asuka… I was just hoping I was wrong about my suspicions of what was going on there. Then the only remedy would be to mend a fence that none of us seemed able to mend—our friendship with Judai. Since we didn't know what had caused him to change and pull away from us some, we couldn't fix it.

Anguish… What _was_ that feeling about, anyway? I never got like that! Ever!

"Agreed," Fuyuko said, jolting me from my thoughts. "How are we supposed to lower that barrier?"

Johan put a finger to his chin, looking thoughtful.

Right. We needed to stop Ai. I'd worry about this anguish thing later. Maybe, if we helped Judai get away from Ai, we'd finally be able to fix things without having to remember every detail of that horrible place.

"Hmm… Well, according to Asuka right before she turned on us, we'd need to find him a girlfriend," Johan said. "However, due to Asuka's betrayal and him being stuck with Ai, that may be a lot harder than we first thought. We need a way to get his mind off Asuka so he can recover enough to _want_ another girlfriend, and _then_ we'd have to find some way to keep Ai occupied. Any ideas?"

 _Another_ girlfriend? So was it possible Johan had noticed what I had? Had he noticed the feelings Judai and Asuka had for each other? Or maybe Judai had said something—Johan was the only one of us he still talked to, after all. So it wasn't just me for once! My sister and Judai _had_ been interested in each other in school! Too bad it had ended in tragedy when neither said anything and he'd left without a goodbye.

Asuka really needed closure, which Judai had robbed her of. Granted, given his own issues, I didn't really blame him. He'd always been naïve, and he'd become secretive and reclusive after Dark World, so why would he say anything? But, still, Asuka couldn't get past it. And, now, there were those new feelings she had for him, thanks to his abrupt departure. She had slowly turned from abandoned to… Oh, boy, her betrayal had been bound to happen eventually. Who could endure that kind of unsettled pain and _not_ turn on the one who caused it?

But this wasn't the time to ramble about my broken sister and her failed relationship! Judai had other issues right then…and I only had an idea to help with the first half of that mess. After all, getting Judai's pain under control would be easier than trying to find him a girlfriend.

"Well, they say alcohol always helps with the first one, but…" I said.

As Akiko wrapped bandages around Kenzan's torso, she said, "That's only temporary, though, isn't it? And it doesn't always work. Some people can never get drunk enough for that."

"Besides that, if you _did_ manage to get him that drunk, he'd be _extremely_ vulnerable to Ai," Ryo added. "Then he'd wind up sleeping with her, and he might wind up impregnating her. Then, by Misgarth law, he'd have to marry her."

Oh. Right. I sunk down in my seat, feeling like an idiot. After all, drinking _was_ known to relax you and destroy your inhibitions. If he went too far under, he'd probably do all kinds of stupid things. After all, hadn't Ryo said I'd been singing perverted and bizarre love songs that I'd made up? Off-key, to boot? Yeah, alcohol was a really dumb idea.

"Good point…"

"Any more bright ideas?" Johan asked, his tone showing he thought my idea was stupid. Seriously, I got it! Quit rubbing it in!

After a bit of thinking, Manjoume said, "A blind date, maybe. That's all I got, though."

"The problem with that is, if he's not into it, it's not going to go well," Fuyuko pointed out.

"Something about this whole thing with Tomorrow Girl just doesn't seem right," Jim said suddenly. "She volunteered to help, didn't she? So why would she be on Ai's side now?"

I looked down. Oh, he just _had_ to ask, didn't he? None of them would like the answer, if I was right. After all, finding out that a friend hated another one of theirs wasn't going to be pleasant for them.

I was certain it was true, too, even if Asuka wouldn't admit it. The way she had talked about Judai ever since graduation proved it. She complained about him being too selfish to say goodbye, pointed out every little thing Kyle did that was better, and heaven forbid Judai show up on the news for some sort of heroic deed! That led to endless sarcasm and complaining! I never wanted to see him and O'Brien in Iceland fighting evil duel spirits again! Asuka was so mad that he was with O'Brien that I'd blocked most of that year out of my memories! She'd made the Dark Army look tame because of that! Why, if she hadn't met Kyle, I didn't know what I'd have done. Last year had been pure hell!

I leaned back against the couch and sadly said, "I can answer that…I think…"

Everyone looked at me. Well, no backing out now.

I sighed. "Well…"

And, so, I launched into the story of a life time: My sister's six years of pain, loneliness, and hatred.

* * *

 **Sho's POV**

I ran around, calling for my Aniki. The beach was nearly abandoned, no doubt due to the time of night it was. All I saw was a few couples here and there, enjoying the sunset and the night sky. Looking across the way, the resort was more active, lit up like a birthday cake. Its light was shining everywhere on the beach. But, still, nearly deserted or not, finding Aniki on that beach wasn't exactly easy. It was a pretty good-sized beach, after all.

"Aniki!" I called, drawing it out. "Aniki! Where are you!?"

It was starting to get chilly, with the cold wind blowing in off the waves. In addition, it was supposed to be really windy tonight. I'd worn a jacket my Nii-san had thought to bring along for me, just in case, but I wasn't sure if Aniki would be warm enough in that Osiris Red jacket. I mean, it wasn't exactly meant for warmth.

When I found Aniki, he was just standing there, looking a lot like what Jim had described right before Haou had awakened. I ran over, worried. What could have happened to him? Was he okay. I sure hoped Haou wasn't coming back out or something. I needed to get Aniki's attention fast!

"Aniki? You okay!?" I asked, gripping my friend's shoulders firmly and giving him a gentle shake. "What's wrong? Come on, say something!"

Oh, I sure hoped he'd answer! If he turned into Haou, again, I didn't know what I'd do! We'd probably have to evacuate the island, fight Aniki, and hope we could get through to him without the Eye of Orichalcum. Jim had said he'd lost it after that, after all. Oh, who was I kidding? If that happened, I'd either wind up dead, or we'd have to kill Aniki to save the world!

I imagined Aniki turning into Haou again and going on a rampage, killing everyone on the island with his dark powers before moving on to the rest of the world. No, Aniki! Don't do it!

Aniki blinked and looked at me. Thank goodness, a reaction! Maybe I wasn't too late!

"Sho…" he said.

He said my name! So he _wasn't_ turning evil again! Jim had said he wouldn't speak to him when he'd done this the last time. So, if it wasn't that, what could it be? He sounded and looked so upset that it wasn't even funny. This _couldn't_ have been something trivial.

"…Hey. You okay?" I asked.

He took a second before he answered, "I don't know."

"Come on, let's get you some place warm."

I headed off, thinking we could try to find a cave or something. Maybe he was just upset about being out here all alone. After all, Kenzan and Manjoume had left him at Ai's non-existent mercy about an hour ago, and that wasn't very nice of them. Leaving the victim to his attacker. Unbelievable! They could have at least found him a place to hide first! Those two creeps were getting an earful from me the next time I saw them!

That was when I noticed that Aniki hadn't moved.

I stopped, turning back to him. He was still standing in the same place, looking no better than before. "Aniki? You coming?"

He didn't answer, staring at the ground instead.

Okay, so I'd come to help him, which should have cheered him up if the only problem was that he'd been abandoned. So what the heck was wrong this time? Would Aniki ever make sense again? I felt so sorry for him, and frustrated that I couldn't help him because I couldn't even figure out what was wrong. Would he ever go back to normal?

"Okay, Aniki, what's wrong?" I asked, walking back over with a lame look on my face.

A moment later, he asked, "How come the people you're closest to always lie to you?"

…What? That was random.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

What _could_ he mean? Had Manjoume or Kenzan said something mean to him before they left!? It was probably Manjoume. That jerk never could keep his mouth shut, the son of a—

My thoughts were cut off by Aniki's next word: "Asuka…"

Asuka? _Asuka?_ The girl that had never been mean to Aniki in her life!? I mean, if she had been, he would have known what we all knew: That she was scary when mad and a dirty, rotten trickster. Like in first year, when she and her friends tied me up and said I'd been peeping in the girls' bath house so that she could force Aniki to duel her! Seriously, if she wanted a duel that badly, she should have just asked! Why do something so underhanded?

But that wasn't important right then. The point was that the only time I'd ever seen her be mean to Aniki was when he had mistreated her during the Pair Duel tournament in third year. Her doing something that would cause _this_ made less sense than a purple baboon with wings doing a can-can dance!

"Huh? What about Asuka? She's here trying to help you, isn't she?"

"Yeah, well, now she's on Ai's side…and she was mad at me, for some reason…"

My eyes bugged out of my head. Asuka was on _Ai's_ side!? What the hell!? And she was mad at Aniki!? But he hadn't even done anything! This was crazy! It _couldn't_ be true! It just couldn't!

"W-w-what!?" I stuttered.

Aniki didn't answer. I guess he didn't want to repeat it or go into any more detail.

I _had_ to ask. Maybe it wasn't true. Maybe I'd misheard him. Maybe Aniki had done something to upset her so bad that she'd switched sides at Ai's suggestion, like during the final duel of the Pair Duel tournament. No, that couldn't be it! Aniki wasn't _that_ messed up that he could drive one of his friends to betray him for a stalker even more devious than Rei!

"M-mad? Ai's side. What are you talking about, Aniki? That makes no—"

"She came over here with Ai and yelled at me, saying I deserved this. Then she yelled at Manjoume for hitting Ai to get her off me before and at Kenzan for spying on her when she was trying to trap me on the beach."

My eyes bugged out again. "WHAT!?"

She was yelling…at Aniki…for _no reason_? Manjoume and Kenzan, I could understand! But she never yelled at Aniki for no reason! And she was with _Ai_!? Why!? What on earth could have caused all of that!? What could it be!? She was our _friend_ , for crying out loud!"

"Uh-huh…"

"B-but why would she do all that!? I thought she was our friend!"

"So did I… Guess we were both wrong…"

I froze up from shock. I was having such a hard time processing this information that my brain shut down. There was no way Asuka would betray us all like this. She'd come to _help_ Aniki!

I spent the whole night trying to work that all out. Aniki was so upset that he didn't even try to snap me out of it—I doubted he even knew I was there. So I stood there in shock and denial while Aniki stood there depressed.

We'd have stayed there forever, if somebody hadn't come along and found us.


	15. The Aftermath

**Edit: I'm stupid. I somehow skipped straight over this chapter! Well, here it is, I guess.**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

Holy shit. What the fuck was I doing that night? I mean, I've had some wild nights, but that one takes the cake! To this day, I wish I could remember it. Unfortunately, for the first time in my life, I'd gotten so drunk I didn't remember a damn thing that happened. All I know is that those towels we'd had were a _huge_ mess—and not just with sand, if you catch my drift.

Morning found us both massively hung over. But we couldn't just lounge around on the beach all day. Lisa had to get to work later, and I felt wrong just chilling at the villa while the woman I'd talked into drinking with me walked back to the resort alone. So I started walking her home. Apparently one of the perks of her job was that she got a free room at the resort's hotel.

As we were heading across the public beach, I stopped when I saw…what I could only assume were two living statues. Judai and Sho were, for some reason, just standing there on the beach. Judai's head was low, and Sho was gaping.

…What the fuck?

Well, no point in wondering. I started over, with a confused and concerned Lisa following. "Yo, dudes!" I said. "What are you doing standing around here?"

My words seemed to knock the crazy Marufuji out of his stupor. He threw his arms up in the air, bellowing, "LIES! They're all lies! There's just no way!"

Okay, if I didn't know the guy was bonkers before, that told me quite clearly. But what lies could get such a freak-out from any sane person? Granted, he _wasn't_ sane. Maybe he was always like this?

Lisa, who had never seen this before, was still calm. She turned to be with nothing but confusion on her face and asked, "What's he talking about, Natsu?"

"Good question, bro. What's going on?" I asked.

I was hoping Judai would say something, but he didn't. From looking at him, I was starting to think he'd had enough of everything. He wasn't acknowledging anything going on.

So, unfortunately, Sho answered, "Aniki here said that Asuka's betrayed us! B-but that _can't_ be true! Can it!?"

Whoa! Okay, a betrayal like that would cause some problems. I mean, Haruko had mentioned a "cute couple" made up of a blond and a brunette at her school, so I figured it was probably Judai and Asuka once I'd met them both. Hey, what could I say? They seemed like they'd be Haru's idea if a cute couple. So, seeing as he liked the girl, her betrayal had to sting like hell.

Meanwhile, however, Sho seemed to be in denial. And seconds away from another psycho moment, though I couldn't say what form it would take. Hey, after all these guys had apparently been through, who could blame them for losing it when somebody betrayed them? Fubuki had told me quite a bit.

"Betrayed? What?" Lisa asked, and I wondered if she was made of the same foreign substance as my little sis because she _still_ wasn't shaken.

"Calm down, bro," I said, focusing back in on the situation at hand. "I'm sure there's a good explanation." I looked at Judai, realizing something nobody else had yet. "But, uh, is it just me, or does Judai look pale?"

He did look a little pale. Not anything to be massively worried about, but still something we should be acknowledging. Additionally, he seemed to have goosebumps, and he was shivering. Well, it _had_ been pretty chilly and extremely windy last night. _That_ much I'd gathered from a look around the beach when I woke up.

Sho blinked, snapping out of it. "Huh?" he asked, looking at his friend.

"Oh, the poor dear," Lisa sympathized, looking at Judai. "How long's he been like this?"

When Sho's eyes bugged out, I figured he didn't know. The way he suddenly started spazzing out, you'd think Judai had a severe case of hypothermia and was on the point of freezing to death! I mean, yeah, he had hypothermia, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Sho was making it out to be! Sho grabbed Judai and started shaking him frantically.

Okay, uh, if he _did_ have that bad a case of hypothermia, that could kill him, Sho. Good thing he _wasn't_ that bad off. Damn, Fubuki hadn't been kidding when he called this kid a spaz.

"Aniki, ANIKI! Wake up! Come on!"

Judai blinked and looked at him. Sho stopped shaking, letting go and pulling back some. I could tell he was holding his breath, and I couldn't blame him. The look on Judai's face… Well, let's just say, Fubuki's stories about him didn't do the guy justice. He was obviously _way_ worse off than Fubuki had made him out to be. Weird, since he'd seemed fine earlier.

"…Aniki…? You okay?" Sho asked, voice filled with worry.

Good question, little guy.

Judai just shrugged.

Okay, yeah. I needed to get this guy inside and warm him up. After that, I'd worry about fixing the damn mess Fubuki's little sister had made. Fuck, maybe Akiko was right when she blamed these guys for Judai's weird behavior.

I gently took Judai's arm, as though I was dealing with one of Fuyuko's female clients. As if I were dealing with something fragile. "Come on, bro," I said. "Let's get you inside and get you warmed up."

"'Kay…" he said quietly.

Well, at least he was responding.

"Good idea," Lisa said. "Bring him to my room. He can warm up and rest there." Then, still just as cool as a cucumber, she led the way back to the resort.

Sho was the only one panicking, and there really wasn't any need to. In fact, I figured the most immediate threat to Judai would be that Tenjoin girl or her new best buddy.

Damn, this was a helluva mess! What could have happened to cause this, anyway? Had Asuka really switched sides? I mean, with what Fubuki had told me about her feelings after Judai left, it wouldn't surprise me. But why join Ai? What was it supposed to be, revenge?

It didn't sound right. And, whether Judai liked it or not, I was gonna get his side of the story just as soon as we got him warmed up. I mean, trying any sooner would get _Sho_ more worked up, and I _really_ didn't want to do that.

"Hold on, Aniki! It's gonna be okay!" Sho said, tossing his jacket over Judai's shoulders.

…Yeah, no way in hell was I gonna get this guy more worked up.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

I didn't say anything to Sho's concern. What was I going to say? I didn't feel like arguing with him over the fact that I was fine, especially since I knew he'd never believe me.

Yubel appeared at my side as Natsuko dragged me off to the resort. She looked sympathetic and concerned, which should tell you how big of a mess I was right then. _"Judai, uh, not to sound rude, but…you've still got me."_ After a moment, she reluctantly added, _"And all the others, too…"_

I knew she was only adding that for my sake. After all, she hated me having other friends. But it didn't really help much. I was busy wondering when the next friend was going to betray me. This kept happening, after all. I lost all of my friends, one by one, when I was five and again during third year. Sure, the _way_ I lost them kept changing, but it was the same thing in the end. All my friends left me, and I was alone. They say history repeats itself, and my life sure was proof of that one.

On my other side, Winged Kuriboh appeared, looking at me sadly. _"Kuri…"_

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

Now, don't get me wrong. I knew that the things I did could mess a guy up. But I hadn't actually _done_ anything, so I didn't expect a broken and sickly man to come into the resort.

That man Natsuko came in, pulling along the aforementioned unexpected man—Judai. I had only looked out in the hallway after hearing Sho's frantic worrying over his friend. In addition to those three, there was a woman with them.

They were far enough down the hallway that I couldn't hear what they were saying. If they hadn't walked right past my room, I probably wouldn't have known they were there at all. Natsuko was holding one of Judai's arms. His other was draped over Sho's shoulders. I imagined that wasn't really necessary, but Sho probably thought it was.

As I headed down the hallway toward them, I noticed that Sho looked downright worried (just like how he sounded) while the other two just looked a bit concerned. Judai, on the other hand, looked miserable, and I didn't think it was just because of the shivering.

The woman pointed to a door toward the end of the hallway, saying, "It's right over there."

"Alright," Natsuko said. "Come on, Judai. It's okay. Almost there."

"Aniki… He's…gonna be okay, right? Right?" Sho said, casting a worried look to Natsuko.

Well, he did look bad—mentally, especially. I couldn't help but be concerned.

I took a step closer and called, "Judai?

Aside from Judai, everyone there stopped, turning with startled expressions.

Sho didn't stay that way for more than a millisecond.

* * *

 **Sho's POV**

I glared at the one responsible for trapping and all but torturing my Aniki. My blood boiled as I thought of everything she'd done—causing Asuka to turn against us and leaving Aniki depressed and, thanks to last night, sick! There was no _way_ she was getting away with _any_ of it!

"Crap!" Natsuko said. He turned to Lisa, pushing Aniki toward her as he said, "Get Judai in your room and lock the door. I'll handle this."

She looked startled as she took hold of Aniki, holding him close to protect him from that witch. At least, that was what I decided her reason was. "Why? What's wrong?"

As Natsuko tried to take a step forward, I held up a hand to block him. There was no way in hell I was letting this guy get in the way of me getting revenge on that demon! She was going to pay _dearly_ for this!

"No!" I said, rolling up my sleeves. " _I'll_ handle this!"

I charged, yelling a battle cry I'd gotten out of old movies, and pounced the witch! My fist connected with her face.

Ai didn't make this easy for me, though. After that first blow, she started blocking my attacks and trying to pry me off her. She seemed to have some training in dealing with attackers, but I got the feeling they had trained her to deal with people _bigger_ than her. A lot of her techniques didn't work so well on me, so she resorted to what I imagined people would do when a small dog or an octopus latched onto them. Not that _that_ worked, either. Faced with my rage, she had little choice but to shield as best she could and scream, both of which she did.

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

…The guy was _insane_! What the hell was he doing!? He looked like a rabid animal, attacking her like that!

I stared for a moment before answering Lisa with, "She's a problem for Judai. Now get him inside while I…uh, stop Sho from killing her?"

Wow. Never thought I'd say those words in a sentence.

Lisa just stared, stunned into silence. Yeah, fair enough. Sho _was_ pretty freaky.

* * *

 **Lisa's POV**

That boy was a _beast_! What in the world was going on that would make him so angry at that woman? Why was Natsuko so calm about this? Why did it seem like Judai was oblivious to everything going on around him? One thing was for sure: Natsuko had some serious explaining to do later.

For the moment, though, I needed to get this poor man warmed up. So, still totally lost, I took Judai into my room, pulled back the covers on my bed, and made him lie down before throwing the covers back over him. After that, I sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing and massaging his arms as I listened to the racket outside.

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

Okay, well, Judai and Lisa were out of the way. Meanwhile, Sho had somehow managed to pin Ai to the floor underneath him. She held her arms up to shield her face from his attacks.

"Take _that_! And _that_!" Sho said, hitting her twice. Then he started punching her rapidly, getting past her defenses, as he said, "And some of _these_!"

…Yeah, this was too much. And he wasn't done yet. No doubt about it—I had to stop him.

I grabbed him under the arms to pull him off, quickly adjusting my grip so I held onto that damn arm he was about to hit her with. For a little guy, he was real strong!

"Sho!" I said. "You're gonna get arrested!"

"Get off me, you little—GUARDS!" Ai shrieked.

Fuck! Okay, so the girl had _guards_ , which meant we really shouldn't have been messing with her this way!

I snatched Sho off her and dragged him, kicking and screaming, into Lisa's room, locking the door behind me.

No doubt about it: Sho was _insane_! Why did Judai even hang out with such a lunatic? Where did he even _meet_ such a lunatic!?

"Let me at her! I don't care _who_ she is! She's gonna—"

"Beating her up's not gonna help your Aniki, Sho!" I yelled.

He stopped flailing, but he was still trying to pull out of my grip. Well, it was a start, at least. "Yeah, but—"

"Just calm down, okay?"

Straining to hear what was going on, I caught Ai talking to someone. Her guards, I figured. She told them what had happened, but, much to my surprise, she said that it was more her fault than anything. She had bothered him during a moment of intense stress, so she didn't want them to arrest him.

Oh, fuck. Arrest him!? What were we dealing with here!? Stalker royalty!?

Still, I figured that leniency of hers wouldn't last if he attacked again, so I told Sho, "Getting arrested's probably gonna make him feel worse, don't you think?"

Sho stopped struggling and blinked a couple of times, as if he hadn't thought of that. What, really?

After a moment, he said, "Right. Sorry…" He lowered his head in shame.

Lunatic.

I let him go.

"Honestly," Lisa said from where she was sitting next to Judai. "What was that all about, anyway? What aren't you telling me, Natsuko?"

Damn. Well, I knew I'd have to tell her sooner or later.

"Well, Judai's got a stalker…and she may or may not be immune to the law because she may or may not be a princess. Calling for guards leads me to think she _is_ a princess. She's found a way to keep him from leaving the island."

There. That should be good enough.

Wrong. She crossed her arms, glaring at me slightly. "Uh-huh. Go on," she said sternly. She sounded like a mother trying to find out why her kids were fighting.

Shit. I was afraid she'd want to know more. Given Sho's attitude about Ai, I didn't want to go into any more detail. Then again, Lisa had a right to know since she was caught in the middle of it.

Sho, looking very concerned, moved to the other side of Lisa's bed and started rubbing Judai's arms. Really, Sho, he wasn't that bad off. He'd be fine.

But Sho's distraction made it easier for me to speak up, at least.

"The only way she'll let him leave is if he marries her, she's been trying to rape him, and she recently found a way to keep him from getting back to where he was staying in an attempt to force him to share a room with her," I said.

Another glare from Lisa, whose arms were crossed.

"Hmph," Sho said. "Not to mention she turned one of his closest friends against us. Right, Aniki?"

A moment's silence. Then, "M-maybe…"

Just then, the worst possible thing happened: Asuka Tenjoin's voice sounded from the hallway.

"Ai! You okay!? What happened!?" she asked, sounding worried.

Oh, shit.

"Sho's gone insane," Ai answered. "Something's wrong with Judai, so he attacked me!"

"That figures. Don't hold it against him, though. Sho's crazy about Judai. Heck, if I didn't know better, I'd say he was in love with the idiot. But, fortunately, he likes girl duel monsters, so that's a no."

The idiot? Did she usually call Judai that? And why did she sound so bitter when she talked about him? _Did_ she hate him?

Sho started, looking offended. "H-hey! She can't go around telling people about that! Who's she think she is!? And I'M NOT GAY, either!" He slammed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

"Oh, I wasn't holding it against him," Ai said. "I know he's a bit crazy. Anyway, I'm going to take a shower and get dressed."

"Okay. See you down at the beach when you're done?" Asuka asked, sounding friendly.

"Sure! But can you check up on Judai for me, please? I want to know exactly why Sho spazzed out on me."

"Do I have to?" Asuka asked, sounding both annoyed and reluctant.

Oh, fuck. So she really _had_ changed sides? No! That couldn't be it! I should know all about subterfuge, given that my best bud and little sis both did it for a living. And that girl was acting off.

"W-what!?" Sho cried.

"I'd appreciate it," Ai said.

I heard Asuka sigh. "Fine. I'll go see. Where's he at?"

* * *

 **Sho's POV**

W-what!? Asuka sounded annoyed and exasperated. But...that _couldn't_ be her! U-unless it really was because of what Aniki had done! So, she hated him!? But that wasn't fair! He'd been through enough already! Why was she so cruel!?

"Thanks, Asuka! You're a doll!" that monster Ai said. "Down the hall a couple of doors and across the hall."

As Ai headed back for her room, we heard footsteps heading away. I just sat there, trying to grasp this new information. Asuka had betrayed us. Aniki had been telling the truth.

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

Sho was sitting on the bed, looking like he'd gone back into denial. Though there was a deeper horror hiding on his face, too, so I figured he was getting past the denial. Now, if I could only figure out what would come next, we'd be golden.

"I…didn't just hear that. Natsuko, tell me I didn't just hear that! Well!?" Sho demanded, leaning forward. His eyes were wide.

I couldn't think of what she would be doing acting like Ai's friend now. I mean, if it were Akiko, she'd have pulled out by now. She'd gotten what she was after, after all.

"What's she up to?" I wondered.

There was a knock on Lisa's door then, and Asuka called, "Uh, excuse me? May I come in?"

Her tone seemed normal. By that, I mean that she sounded a whole lot different from when she'd been talking to Ai earlier. Was "normal" even a thing for her anymore?

I headed over and opened the door a bit. Asuka stood there with a slightly concerned look on her face.

Thinking of her words, Judai's current state, and the psycho known as Sho, I said, "Uh, I'm not so sure if that's wise…"

"Why, what is it? Is Judai okay?" she asked, now obviously concerned.

Okay, I couldn't think of any rational reason for her behavior. I mean, if she was a traitor, she wouldn't care about Judai. On the other hand, there was no reason for her to continue this act now that she'd gotten the information she wanted. Ai wasn't after her, after all.

After a moment of puzzled debate, the best explanation I could come up with was, "Do you suffer from some strange variant of bipolar disorder?"

She blinked, looking lost and a bit surprised. As well she should have. "W-what?"

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

I listened to the conversation at the door, really wishing she'd just go away. I closed my eyes, not sure what was going on. I mean, she seemed like she cared now, but she'd been acting like she hated me just a minute ago. I would have loved to have thought it was just a dream, but the day before was too vivid in my mind, especially after that conversation she'd just had with Ai.

Natsuko's friend Lisa stopped worrying over me then, but Sho started rubbing my arms in a more massaging way, as if he was trying to comfort me.

Great. I was worrying him.

"Uh…we heard everything you said to Ai…?" Natsuko said.

"What? How?" Asuka sounded surprised and…caught?

"Because we've been insanely quiet, waiting for the cops or something to come and take Sho away."

I peeked just in time to see Asuka sweat. "Right…" She looked around, apparently nervous and uncomfortable. "May I come in please? We need to talk."

"Sure," Natsuko said, stepping back. "Watch yourself, though. Sho bites."

"Hey!" Sho said, offended.

Natsuko was watching Asuka cautiously, so he didn't catch Sho's look.

I quickly closed my eyes again. Maybe she'd think I was sleeping and would leave me alone. Yeah, I know, that's the coward's way out. But I didn't know what to expect from her anymore.

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

I walked in and saw Judai lying in the room's only bed, looking sickly. That got me worried. I wanted to talk to him, apologize for yesterday and explain myself, but it looked like he was asleep.

From the looks of everyone there, something bad must have happened to Judai because of me. To top things off, they'd just overheard my conversation with that jerk Ai. That was just great. As if things could have gotten worse.

Well, first things first. I needed to find out what Ai had done to Judai. After that, I could get this huge misunderstanding under control. Just my luck, though, Sho the loudmouth had to be there when I explained. I'd have to find some way to keep his big mouth shut!

But, first, Judai.

"What happened to him?" I asked, shutting the door behind me.

Sho crossed his arms, glaring at me. "Well, gee, Miss Tenjoin, you tell me."

What was that supposed to mean? And why did he sound so bitter? He was treating me almost as badly as he did Ai! What could he possibly think I'd done to deserve that?

"What? Why? What did I do?"

"I found them _both_ standing on the beach this morning," Natsuko answered. "Judai was totally spacing out, and Sho said something about you changing sides."

My eyes widened. Sho thought I was the enemy? And Judai was spacing out?

"What!? That's ridiculous! Why would you think—"

It hit me hard right then. I cut myself off, thinking about the day before. I'd been mean to Judai, Manjoume, and Kenzan for, apparently, no reason. Manjoume and Kenzan had taken it fine, but Judai had looked crushed.

"…Oh…"

I sweat, realizing I'd made a really bad move yesterday. I couldn't believe he'd taken it so hard! Sure, Manjoume had probably told the others, but Judai had taken it so poorly that he'd stood outside all night!? And, somewhere along the way, Sho had joined him, and both of them had just stood there the whole time!? So he hadn't even snapped out of it to deal with Sho? What was _wrong_ with him!?

Natsuko raised an eyebrow at me. "'Oh?' Care to elaborate on this 'oh?'"

I sweat again but didn't answer Natsuko. Instead I slowly approached Judai.

I had to straighten this out before it went way too far. I was starting to think Judai wouldn't last long if I didn't. Great, so I had to tell my big-mouth friends the truth in order to keep _one_ of them from all but killing himself! Why was this so difficult? Why had he taken this so hard? He didn't used to be this bad. He was more sensitive than a smoke detector these days! Honestly, he didn't make any sense now.

I hesitated. "Judai? Can you hear me?" I asked.

This was nerve-racking. It shouldn't have been, but it was. After hurting Judai so badly, what if he wouldn't listen to me? What if he hated me either way after this? Had that one little act ruined our strained friendship completely? Before I wouldn't have worried about something like that with him, but you never could tell these days. I mean, I wouldn't have worried about him taking this so hard before, either, and look what happened.

He opened an eye slightly, peeking at me. Well, at least he was listening.

"…Hi…" I said.

"…Hi…"

His tone wasn't reassuring. He still sounded hurt, but _now_ he also seemed like he was on guard! As though he was expecting me to yell at him again for no reason! How had that stupid act come to this? That woman was tearing everything apart!

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Finally I sighed, deciding that all I could do was apologize and hope for the best. With any luck, at least I could get him to stop moping, even if he _didn't_ forgive me.

Ai was dead when this was over.

"Look, Judai, about yesterday…I'm sorry. I guess I…didn't think you'd take it so badly. I mean, the others were okay with it."

"Okay with what…?"

I hesitated, looking for the right words. "With…the things I said, okay? I mean, _clearly_ they're okay since I haven't heard of any of _them_ going to the hospital or something like that over what I said. And, in the hall just now, well…"

I was avoiding the point, but I didn't know how to say this. No matter how I did, it wouldn't come out right. On the one hand, I hadn't told them, so he might be mad at me for that. On the other, if I didn't get this out _now_ , he might not believe my apology. I couldn't win no matter what!

"Is there a point here somewhere…?" Judai asked. "'Cause it feels like there should be."

I decided to just come out and say it. It would be better to be honest and accept the consequences than to lie and make things worse. My mother had been right about those so-called little white lies—they just kept growing and growing.

"Look, the point is, I came here to help you, not hurt you. But to do that, sadly, requires some sacrifices on my part, or the whole thing's a bust."

Sho raised an eyebrow, looking confused and suspicious. Well, at least he wasn't going to kill me…if I told them what those sacrifices were. Ugh, he could be such a pain.

"Sacrifices?" he asked.

"Like what?" Judai added.

Well, clearly they needed answers, so I hesitantly continued. "Like…pretending I'm Ai's new best friend? Keeping up the acts I created during our one on one talks together?"

I suddenly realized something else my act might need if it wound up dragging on for too long. Sure, Kyle and Junko knew their parts as of last night, but I'd told Ai that there was a man named Eric I liked who didn't acknowledge my feelings. If this went on for too long, she might want to meet him…and he didn't even exist.

"Speaking of, I'd better find a guy named Eric who I love but who doesn't know how I'm feeling at all, just in case." Muttering, I added, "Should be fun."

And it should be. That was like trying to find a needle in a haystack! I didn't even _know_ anyone named Eric! Why had I picked that name!? Why, if Kyle hadn't transferred from the North Academy last year, I wouldn't even know anyone with _that_ name! What had I been thinking!?

I didn't have to dwell on this for long because Sho rolled his eyes, glaring at me again. "Wow… _That_ sounds familiar," he said, sounding bitter again. "So, what? Create a _second_ version of your life story to add some pizzazz to whatever act you've created?"

Yes, he was certainly bitter.

"Uh. Well…" I sweat.

Oh, boy, he'd pinned me there. I mean, sure, I wasn't that interested in most of the guys I'd met, but there had been one back in high school. And, just my luck, he was the only one who wasn't interested in _me_. Why is it that all of the good guys were either taken or too dense?

"How come you need to do this?" Judai asked, sitting up. "Didn't you already figure out what you wanted to know?"

I sighed. He just had to ask, didn't he? Wasn't it enough to know it was just an act? I mean, Sho was mad enough at me as it was! This would send him off the deep end for sure.

But, given that lying hadn't done any good at all, I said, "Yes. But just barely, and, in case you forgot, Ai's dangerous. I'm not taking any chance of her finding out that I told you and either ruining all our plans or having Ai come after me again, okay? Sorry, guys, but I'm in too deep to just back out now. I have no choice but to continue at this point. Do you understand?"

There. That should answer their questions. That way, neither of them needed to hear my story about Judai being dangerous, which would keep Sho off my back.

"Depends," Judai said. "What excuse did you give her for why you're here?"

I sweat again. Geez, Judai was just too curious for his own good sometimes! He wouldn't want to hear this, either!

"Someone said the Sacred Beasts were here attacking. We've pretty much agreed that it was some Monarchs I can't see and you trying to bust out."

Sho looked lost. "…Okay…"

Oh, good! He wasn't following. Now, if Judai could just shut up and forget it, everything would be fine! …Then again, there _was_ a small hole in my answer, wasn't there? Oh, don't ask, Judai. Just don't.

He stared at me for a moment. Finally he said, "Then, if that's why you're here, couldn't you leave whenever you wanted…?"

Damn it, Judai! Were you _trying_ to cost me everything!? Why did he have to keep asking these questions with _Sho_ in the room!? He'd kill me!

"Well, I could have. If I hadn't also agreed to stick around awhile to keep an eye on Ai. I…kinda convinced her that you were a super genius and would eventually find a way out on your own and go kill her for this?" I said, feeling a bit nervous.

He must have been angry at me. Why else would he set Sho up with every possible bit of information he'd need to decide to kill me?

Natsuko's girlfriend was glaring at him in a way that made it clear he had some explaining to do. Her hands were on her hips. He laughed nervously, showing exactly what I was feeling by that point.

Judai stared at me for a second, making me more nervous. Was he actually going to be okay with this?

Finally he said, "Okay…"

Good. He was okay with it. Too bad Sho didn't agree. He whirled on Judai, getting up in his face and glaring fiercely. I couldn't help but think he should watch himself. After all, Judai seemed to have become just as delicate as a _flower_ recently.

"Okay? Okay!?" Sho demanded. "Aniki, she just made you sound no different than Haou! And you think that's 'okay'!? Are you crazy!?"

Well, at the end, he stopped glaring. Apparently he actually _did_ think Judai might be crazy.

Judai, being used to Sho's bizarre behavior, just shrugged and said, "I _am_ no different from Haou, Sho. He and I are the same person, just different personalities."

"Wait, now you've got that personality disorder, too!?" Natsuko said.

"Long story, Natsuko," I told him quickly. "Don't ask."

I really didn't want to think about what had happened during that time. I'd read about Haou in Sho's books and been glad that I hadn't been there, but that didn't mean I wanted to _think_ about it!

Sho calmed down a great deal with those words. His attitude switched over to more of a guilty one. "True. But you're not him. _You're_ the _good_ personality, so—"

"Doesn't matter," Judai cut him off, sounding calm.

Sho stared at him for a bit, stunned, then turned back to glare at me. "And _you_! What other _lies_ did you make up!?" he demanded. "Or was it half-truths and only _some_ lies!? Like, did you tell her how you got _abandoned_ by your _first_ love and then made up a new guy to _replace_ him!? Or did you tell her that your first love _never_ noticed you, then said that Kyle was just like that!? Or did you—"

"Sho!" I cut him off, taking a step back. I didn't want him to keep guessing what I'd said to Ai.

He raised a fist into the air as he yelled, "WHAT!? Can't handle the truth!? That you're a—"

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Okay, yeah, time to stop him. I mean, I was glad that he cared so much to be that angry about this, but Asuka hadn't really done anything wrong. Besides, I wasn't mad at her, so why should he have been? Whatever he was about to say was more than he needed to.

"Cut it out, Sho," I said.

Startled, he turned to me, lowering his fist. His eyes were wide. "Huh!? But, Aniki, she's a—" He pointed back at her, turning back slightly.

"Cut it out, Sho," I repeated.

He started and turned all the way to face me. "B-but—"

"Sho… Cut. It. Out."

" _Whoa, whoa, whoa, back it up a bit._ What _did he just say about half-truths and lovers?"_ Yubel asked. _"Abandoned? Replaced? Not noticed? What's going on here?"_ She sounded both surprised and suspicious, but I really didn't want to know. After all, I probably wouldn't like it.

 _I don't know, and I don't care. Sho has a wild imagination sometimes._

Yubel was quiet a moment before asking, _"Yeah? Then why's she look so uncomfortable?"_

Well, she had a point. Asuka was rubbing her arms and blushing. I didn't get it. What was wrong with her?

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

Oh, he'd gotten me again. That fake story of mine _did_ look a lot like reality. But why did Sho have to say that in front of _Judai_!? He wouldn't get it, anyway! He was too dense to ever understand!

Sho just stared at Judai for a bit before he sighed and muttered, "This is why everyone calls him an idiot. He's too nice sometimes."

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

"Does it matter?" I muttered for Yubel's sake. "She's got a boyfriend…"

"… _True."_

Either way, I seemed to have gotten my point through to Sho, at least. He stared at me for a bit longer before turning a glare back on Asuka.

Growling, he said, "Well, Aniki may have forgiven you for what you did, but _I_ sure won't!" He jumped off the bed and got up in her face, jabbing a finger so close that he was almost poking her in the eye. No wonder she leaned back nervously. "Just because you're still upset about all that's no reason to go making up sob stories based on it! And _especially_ not when you're telling them to the enemy!" He backed off, shutting his eyes as he waved his arms in front of him, adding, "So, as of right now and forever more, _you_ can consider this friendship over! Later, Aniki." He started marching off in a huff. "Let me know when you _feel_ better."

So he was gone.

Asuka turned, reaching a hand out to try to stop him. "Sho! Wait!"

He didn't. He slammed the door behind him. Asuka pulled back, looking upset. Guess I shouldn't have been asking all those questions with Sho around. Whoops.

Natsuko let out a whistle. "Wow. Didn't see that coming."

Asuka sighed, her shoulders slumping. She turned back to me and said, "Anyway, Judai. You feeling any better now?"

"Yeah, I guess," I said.

"Good. Now, I've gotta go, okay? But, rest assured, the things I say when Ai's around aren't true, okay?"

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

I didn't think about this at the time, but that wasn't really the truth. I was even lying to myself that time. But I wanted to believe that just as much as Judai did.

Honestly, he had really hurt me when he left without saying goodbye after graduation. There would never be anyone else as good as him. But he was a wanderer, risking his life to save others, and he'd clearly never have the time or desire to stick around for long.

I decided that I was a little resentful of him. He had changed completely after Dark World, and I resented him for it. I still liked him, but it wasn't the same as before. My feelings for him weren't as strong as before. I mean, obviously, or I wouldn't have been dating Kyle.

Kyle was a good duelist, handsome, a real gentleman and sometimes a dueling partner. He knew I could take care of myself, and he'd never been to Dark World. He was about as close to perfect as you could get. In fact, he reminded me a bit of Judai, except with more brains.

"Okay," Judai said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Okay," I echoed, relieved that he wasn't upset about this. Then I turned to Natsuko, hoping he would be as understanding. "Natsuko?"

"Hey, why are you asking me?" he asked. "I don't even know you all that well. Though, word of advice: Clue people in on your plans in the future. Then you won't have stuff like this happening."

Yeah, thanks for the advice. Too bad it wouldn't work with _my_ friends.

"I would if there weren't so many blabbermouths in my group," I muttered. Then I sighed.

Mentally, I made a list of all those I didn't think could keep secrets: Sho, Fubuki, Manjoume, Haruko, Kenzan, Johan… Honestly, they _all_ loved to talk! Some, like Johan, only blabbed if they thought others needed to know, but that didn't work when the others just loved to talk! Even Judai could blow a secret at times. Why would I have told them this? Seriously, Natsuko had been friends with Fubuki for three years now. He needed to get a few things straight about my brother and his _friends_ if he was planning on hanging out with us.

Granted, he'd never met most of our friends. Fubuki had introduced him to _me_ , which hadn't been fun. Natsuko had asked if I was single and wanted to "paint the town" with him. As an afterthought, he'd added Fubuki to that plan. In short, he was another jerk.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Natsuko then decided that I needed to meet one of _his_ friends, no doubt hoping to hook us up. Fortunately I'd been with Kyle when I met Fuyuko, so Natsuko's plan had failed. Additionally, it was probably doomed from the start because Fuyuko wasn't interested.

I pushed those irritating thoughts away and headed for the door. "Later," I said.

Losing Sho's friendship wasn't exactly a huge blow, but it did sting a bit. Whether those stories of mine were based on reality or not, Ai already knew it, so what did it matter? It was still a good cover story. It worked and kept me out of trouble, so why should he have been so angry about it? It wasn't that big of a deal.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Well, now I felt really bad. Sho was mad at her because of me. I'd have to figure out some way to fix that later.

Yubel appeared beside the bed, her arms crossed. She looked sick and tired of my behavior, but there was a hint of concern hiding underneath. _"Well, that was weird. You feeling any better now?"_ she asked me.

 _Yeah,_ I answered silently. Of course, just then, I sneezed. Well, maybe _that_ was why I was actually feeling so bad. _Though I think I might have caught a cold…_

Yubel laughed and said, _"Well, what do you expect!? You were standing out there all night without any shelter whatsoever. Man, for a boy, you're awfully emotional."_ With that taunt, she grinned.

The implication: I acted more like a girl because I had fused with her. Not funny. _Yeah, except that's all I was doing, is standing,_ I said.

" _You were in space over this. Admit it,"_ she teased, nudging my side.

Boy, did she know how to embarrass me. Yeah, I'd been overreacting. I hadn't even given Asuka a chance to explain what was going on before going off the deep end over that! Man, what was it with me and trust these days? It didn't _used_ to be so hard.

 _Yeah, yeah…_

"Are you okay?" Lisa asked, looking concerned. "You look a bit feverish."

Yeah, I did feel a bit warm, so I could believe that.

"Probably just a cold," I said. I mean, it wasn't like that was anything serious. I caught colds all the time.

Natsuko put a hand on my forehead, checking my temperature. "Yep, you've got a fever. Better get some rest, kiddo."

Kiddo? Really?

"I'm not a kid…" I said.

Natsuko pushed me back down, ignoring my complaint.

Lisa opened the door to head out. She stopped in the doorway, looking back, and said, "I'll go see about getting him some hot soup from the diner. Do you need anything else?"

Well, clearly my "mother" was talking to me there, so I said, "No, that's okay."

"Be right back, then. Keep an eye on him, Natsuko. You know, just in case."

She sounded so motherly, so you can see why I called her my mother earlier. It was like she wanted to make sure her "son" was going to be okay and was worried about leaving me alone. She'd make a good mom…that is, if she wasn't one already.

"Don't worry, Lisa," Natsuko answered. "I got this."

She nodded and headed out.

Once she was gone, Natsuko turned to me. "Judai, what were you thinking, standing around out there all night? That was totally careless!"

Yeah, yeah, I got the point. Sheesh, did he really need to start scolding me? What were he and Lisa doing, practicing being parents and using me as the dummy? Granted, given Natsuko's reputation, he probably already had a few kids, whether he knew it or not.

"I wasn't thinking, that's what I was thinking…" I said.

"Clearly." He shook his head, adding, "Honestly. And Sho wasn't much better, just standing there _with_ you!"

" _You know, he's got a point,"_ Yubel said. _"You could have at_ least _moved for Sho's sake. You know Sho, after all."_

 _I don't know why I didn't, Yubel. You weren't exactly trying to help last night, either._

She shrugged, her eyes closed. _"How could I help? You were lost in another world._ I _sure as heck couldn't find you! I'm surprised Sho actually_ did _, now that I think about it."_ She put a hand to her chin, looking thoughtful.

Geez, way to remind me how stupid and pathetic I'd been acting.

"Well, either way, Judai, you should get some rest," Natsuko said.

"Yeah, okay," I said, closing my eyes.

He had a point, after all. I'd been up all night, and I'd gone and gotten myself a cold, too. Getting some sleep seemed like a great idea.

I heard the door lock, then Natsuko flopped into a chair. Knowing him, he'd probably been up all night with Lisa, so we both needed some sleep.

So I drifted off.


	16. Scuba Diving

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

I headed down to the beach with Kyle. After all, we were going to spend time with Ai today, whether I liked it or not. I wanted to make it very clear to Ai that Kyle and I weren't a couple, so I needed to make sure that he knew his part. I doubted he would mess up, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Now, remember," I told him. "When Ai gets here, we're _not_ together, okay? She thinks you act like Manjoume used to with me. You know. _Before_ he hooked up with Momoe, okay?"

While I was saying this, I was calm much calmer about it than I typically would be with my other friends. Kyle was one of the few trustworthy people I knew, after all. Fortunately he'd been okay with this act when I'd told him what had happened. He was such a great guy.

"Like Manjoume, you say?" Kyle asked. "Heh. I can do that!" He closed his eyes, grinning with confidence.

It was good that he was so sure of himself because there wasn't any time left to prepare. That little demon who had cost me a friend and made me hurt three others had just shown up, heading our way. Princess or not, I was so going to kill her after this was over.

"Good," I said. "Cause here she comes."

The both of us turned, and I donned a fake smile when I saw the little bitch heading over. Kyle just looked neutral.

"Hey, Asuka!" Ai said to me. "Hello, Kyle."

"Hey! Have a good shower?" I asked.

"Yep! So? What's wrong with Judai?"

I closed my eyes and crossed my arms, acting uncaring as I said, "Oh, nothing too serious. The idiot just stood outside alone all night and got himself sick. I think he caught a cold, from the looks of it."

Really, though, this act was even easier than yelling at Manjoume and Kenzan! This _couldn't_ just be the reason that everyone thought I was mean. So why was it so easy to act like I hated Judai?

"Oh, poor thing. Well, it's his own fault. He _could_ have stayed with me, if he wasn't so stubborn."

I gave a bit of a nasty grin. Judai's idiocy _did_ reach some pretty high levels sometimes. I mean, standing outside all night, ignoring everything around him? Just because he was upset? Really? That would be a good "rumor" to tell Ai about his stupidity levels. Wow, this act felt as natural as breathing.

"Heh. From what I hear, he wouldn't budge to even bother looking for a place to warm up, let alone go somewhere he doesn't like," I said. "What an idiot."

Kyle reached out and put his hands on my shoulders, looking sympathetic. His acting was even better than mine! Was there anything he _couldn't_ do? That romantic gesture would help my act, too.

"Now, darling, I know you're resentful towards him, but you could at least pretend to care some, couldn't you?" he said.

I pulled away, and he let me go easily. Then I turned to him with a slight glare for touching me without my permission. What was weird was _that_ felt like an act to me, but being mad at Manjoume was easy before! What was fueling my rage during my acts?

As I spoke to Kyle, my rage started coming back. "First of all, don't call me 'darling,' and, second, why should I? _He's_ the one who left me all alone that night. Why should I care if he gets himself sick being stupid!?" I glared at him fiercely, my arms crossed. This rage was _not_ an act. What was I so mad at? Judai for being an idiot? That wasn't _his_ fault! He'd always been like that!

"Oh, honey. If only you knew," Ai said, shaking her head with a slight smile. I got the feeling she loved this act of mine. Probably because she could use it against Judai.

I calmed myself down, trying to move this along. After all, I'd promised to hang out with this thing, so we had better get started. "So, anyway, Kyle, where's Junko?" I asked, trying to shatter the image of us as a couple. "I thought you invited her to hang with us today."

There. That should help. After all, around Ai, Kyle wasn't my boyfriend, no matter how badly I wanted his love. Great, now Judai was ruining my real love life, too. Oh, he owed me _so_ badly after this, it wasn't even funny!

Kyle shook his head, looking upset. "Sadly, she still refuses to leave her room. Still shook up from that whole ordeal the other night."

Oh, this man was amazing. That cover was perfect! After all, Junko _was_ more nervous than me, so something that bad _would_ shake her up more. And he hadn't even hesitated before saying that. He was the best at everything he did, wasn't he?

"Yeah. I bet she is," I said, sounding guilty. "That must have been traumatizing. I should have never asked her to come…"

On that note, Junko's _real_ reason for avoiding us was to stay out of Ai's way as much as possible. After all, her acting was horrible. I knew I'd brought the right people to help me out! They were good at everything I needed to deal with this mess.

"Aw, you couldn't have known," Ai said. "I am sorry, though, for that little prank. I found the perpetrators, however, and they've been dealt with accordingly. They get a kick out of scaring girls, sadly. They're teenagers, though, so what are you going to do?" She shrugged.

Yeah, as if teenagers like that would be working for a princess. Her cover story made about as much sense as that Sacred Beast story I'd thrown together, alright. Clearly it took some time to think of a convincing cover story, which was why the sappy love tragedy I'd made up before coming had worked.

"Yeah. I guess. Perfect timing, though. Did they know there was a suspected terrorist here?" Muttering, I added, "Yet another thing we can blame Judai for. Traumatizing Junko…"

That was true. While Junko had only been unnerved for that one night, she _had_ been shaken up quite a bit by it, and it wouldn't have happened if Ai hadn't attacked us to try using us to get to Judai. So he'd gotten us in trouble again because _he_ had gotten in trouble. That just figured.

Kyle's sympathy act could have earned him an Oscar at this point as he turned right to me. He looked so sorry for me that you'd think he really _was_. "Now, Asuka, that's not true," he said.

"Sweetheart, one day, you and I have _got_ to have a heart to heart about that boy. But not today!" She sounded cheery all of a sudden, as if she really enjoyed holding that over my head. "Today, it's beach time!"

I closed my eyes and crossed my arms, not caring. Ai wanted to fill my head with her lies about Judai based on what she had dug up. So? I didn't need to hear it. What would a crazy stalker know about his true intentions, anyway? Besides, even if I _did_ hear it, it would probably be something stupid and selfish, so why bother?

"Yeah, whatever," I said.

Kyle clapped his hands together, drawing both mine and Ai's attention. He was smiling, trying to lighten the mood. What a great guy he was. He even cheered me up when I _faked_ being upset! "So, then, what do you lovely ladies want to do?"

"Well, we're on the beach! What do people _usually_ do at a beach?" Ai teased.

"Uh, hang out?"

"Well, honestly, I was thinking of going scuba diving. Care to join me?"

And there it was. Kyle's favorite activity. He spent a great deal of his free time under the water off the coast of Duel Academy Island. Any time he wasn't with me, I was likely to find him in the ocean. In fact, I found him there more than I'd found Judai dueling during our first two years of school! This time, though, he wanted to do it in a foreign country…and take us with him? Was he actually allowed to do any of that here?

"Hold up! Don't you need a license for that or something!?" I asked, worried. After all, he could get arrested if he wasn't careful! I didn't want to have to visit a Mexican prison to see my boyfriend all the time.

Ai shrugged. "Don't know. In the states, I think, but this is Mexico. I'm not sure about down here."

Well, of course she wasn't. She was a princess. She had diplomatic immunity, so she didn't need to worry about the laws of foreign countries!

To my surprise, Kyle reached into his shirt pocket with a smile on his face and pulled out a card that looked like some sort of a license. So he had a license to dive in Mexico? But why? He was from England and he lived in Japan now! When would he need a license to scuba dive in Mexico!?

"Well, regardless of law, I do have one," Kyle said. "And it allows me to give lessons to beginners, too. What do you say? There's an amazing view down there that you'd have to see to believe."

Okay, yeah. He _definitely_ loved diving more than Judai loved dueling! I mean, he had a license to _dive_ in Mexico, _and_ he could teach beginners! I know he liked diving, but this was just ridiculous!

"Well…" I hesitated, rubbing an arm.

This would be my first time trying this. I mean, it wasn't like it wasn't an exciting idea, but there was a _reason_ you needed a license for this sort of thing! I just hoped Kyle was as good a diving instructor as he was a duel history teacher. As far as teaching went, he even gave me a run for my money, so it would be very reassuring if he was that good at teaching diving.

"Alright! Sounds fun!" Ai said.

"Well, okay, but this is _not_ some sort of date, so don't mistake it for one, okay?" I said sternly, pointing a finger in his face. After all, we had to keep up this act.

Kyle laughed and said, "If you say so! Come on. Let's go rent ourselves some gear and a boat." He headed off to the resort, and Ai and I both followed.

* * *

 **Johan's POV**

At the villa, we had all gathered in the lounge area with our breakfasts so we could continue our talk from the previous night. I really didn't want to think about it. I mean, what Fubuki had told us was just so depressing. How in the world was I going to tell Judai? This would crush him, and he was enough of a mess without this!

I didn't have much time to think about that, though, before Sho stormed into the villa, looking mad as hell. The first words out of his mouth were, "Whoever says the word 'Asuka' _dies_!"

Great. Had he found out?

Sho headed over to the couch and had a seat with his brother and Kenzan, who moved over to make room for him. He must really have been mad because he sat down with his arms crossed, closed his eyes, and let out a humph. Everyone seemed concerned, and I couldn't blame them. But, when Kenzan asked him what was wrong, Sho snapped at him that it was "none of his business" and demanded that we just focus on Judai's problems.

Clearly he was angry about _something_. He sounded like Manjoume!

Regardless, we all decided to do what he asked for now. After all, it _was_ really important. So, as we all ate our breakfasts, we tried to think of some way to find Judai a girlfriend he would actually _like_.

Kenzan lit up with an idea shortly. "I got it! I know how we're gonna get Aniki a girlfriend he'll actually like!" He sounded so excited that he must have really thought this idea of his would work.

All I had to say was it had better be good. I mean, after I told him the truth about Asuka, Judai would _really_ need someone who cared.

Manjoume looked over at him lamely and annoyed, playing with his scrambled eggs. "Oh, really? And how's that?"

"We call Rei in! He already thinks of her as a friend, so he's _bound_ to warm up to her!"

Rei, huh? Well, sure, Judai and Rei were friends, but I thought Kenzan was forgetting something.

Manjoume, however, clearly knew. He dropped his fork and gave Kenzan an annoyed look that screamed "you're an idiot." "What is this? Stalker Island? You seriously wanna drag _Rei_ into this!?"

"Rei? Really?" Akiko asked. "Who would like a girl who sneaks into your school and forces her way into your dorm so she can be close to you when you barely know each other?"

Good point, Aki! That was just what I'd been thinking! Besides, that stuff scared Judai, anyway, so Rei wasn't a good choice at all.

Kenzan shrugged and said, "It's Aniki. He sees her as a friend, for some reason."

And that was where things got weird, really. I couldn't figure that out, either! Then again, it made a lot more sense why he'd kept that friendship after the mess with Yubel had ended. Hey, when you think you've lost most of your closest friends, who _wouldn't_ cling to a stalker-friend?

"Okay? And this translates into love…how?" Akiko asked.

Good question. I'd been wondering the same thing. Clearly this woman was a lot smarter than most of this group.

Then, sounding as bitter as possible, Sho answered, "In steps, of course. In a case like that, first comes friendship, then comes attraction, then the dating starts. Or, at least, that's how it's _supposed_ to happen!"

Okay, that _did_ make sense. If Rei would agree to it, that is. She'd have to slow _way_ down to get Judai to like her that way, that was for sure. Really, though, that could wait for a minute. With how Sho sounded, I felt that needed to be addressed. I mean, what was going on? He was acting completely out of character!

"Hey, Sho, you okay?" I asked, concerned.

Kenzan turned to Sho with the same look. "Yeah. You've been in a huff since you stormed in. Care to talk about it?"

Sho slammed his eyes shut. "Hmph!"

Okay, yeah, he was a major mess. Maybe Judai would know why. I mean, Sho had gone to check on him last night, so talking to him might give me some idea what was wrong with Sho.

Jim must have decided Sho was a hopeless cause, too, because he said, "Well, in that case, we'd best make sure Rei knows to act like his friend first, and then start flirting."

Okay, Jim was smart, too. He beat me to the punch on that one, just like Akiko kept beating me.

"Probably gonna take a while, what with her trying to catch him on the rebound and all," Akiko added.

My thoughts exactly. Especially after I told Judai what Fubuki had told us the night before. Rei would have her hands full for sure.

Kenzan lit up again, probably glad that his idea had been accepted. "Great! Anyone got her number? She didn't seem all that interested in staying in touch."

And _that_ made me wonder about her yet again. She didn't stay with the group, probably because she was only _in_ the group to get closer to Judai. Typical stalker behavior, meaning not exactly the type of person you'd want dating the guy she was stalking.

"No," the Kaiser said, his look somewhere between annoyance and lame. "But I know where she lives."

Fubuki's eyes widened a bit, and he turned to the Kaiser, looking confused and surprised. "Wait, wait, wait. _How_ do you know this? You met her at that tournament in—"

"I had to walk her home several times before I went to Duel Academy."

"Yeah, no kidding," Sho added, looking annoyed. "Sometimes after midnight, too, when she tried sneaking in to rummage through Nii-san's things."

Okay, well, that explained the look…and made Rei seem like an even worse choice. Why were we doing this?

Manjoume stared, looking stunned. I couldn't blame him. That was borderline Ai, after all. "Okay! Haru's not that bad, after all! At least she doesn't try forcing herself on me or doing stuff like _that_."

"…And we're calling her…why?" Akiko asked, stunned. "With that in mind, wouldn't it be just as productive to get him to fall in love with Ai instead?"

Man, I needed to work on speaking up. Aki shouldn't have always been the first to voice my thoughts on the subject. I mean, we were talking about _my_ best friend! Akiko barely knew him!

"Well, he doesn't like Ai!" Kenzan said. "And she treats him badly! Rei doesn't do stuff like that, last time I checked."

And, again, someone had made sense when defending the choice. No, Rei didn't do those kinds of things.

Manjoume started, as if he'd just noticed something. He turned to Fuyuko and said, "Hey, Fuyuko, speaking of stalkers, where's ours?"

He was looking around for her. Come to think of it, she really _wasn't_ here. I guess that made sense seeing as she wasn't even Judai's friend. She was only here to stalk Manjoume, so she really shouldn't have been here. Really, that girl needed to take the hint already.

"Hopefully finding someone better than you to 'stalk,'" Fuyuko answered.

Manjoume took a moment before, sounding annoyed, he said, "Great." Then he threw his head back in frustration, no doubt thinking of what Haruko might try next. "Argh! What do I have to do!? _Marry_ Momoe for her to get the point!?" He sat up, holding his head and gritting his teeth, his eyes shut. I guess being stalked for so long was too much for him. Wow, who would have _ever_ guessed that? "We've only been dating for five months now! She'd never go for that! Would she?"

While Manjoume threw his fit, I got up and got my travel bag, pulling out my teal laptop and powering it on. After all, if we were going to get Rei to come, we'd need to figure out some way to contact her.

"I don't know, but can we get back to the matter at hand?" I asked. "Are we contacting Rei or not?"

This was getting annoying. I mean, sure, Manjoume had a problem, but he didn't need to bring it up every time we were trying to figure out how to help Judai!

I opened the Internet and waited for someone to tell me if we were doing this. I mean, personally, I didn't think it was a good idea. But it wasn't my choice, really.

"That depends. Guys? What do you think?" Kenzan asked, looking around at the others.

The Kaiser shrugged, eyes closed. "She's better than Ai," he said calmly.

Well, I guess he was okay with this.

"I think it could work," Jim agreed. "But we've got to make sure she knows what's going on and doesn't just charge in offering her love."

"Right. I guess," Akiko said.

Sho mimicked the Kaiser's attitude, pose and all. So they really were related! But that wasn't normal! Ugh, Judai had better know what was going on! This was getting ridiculous!

Anyway, the little guy muttered, "Hmph. Anyone's better than that traitor, too."

Kenzan stared, worried. No duh. I mean, he was way out of it!

Wait a second, traitor? Did Judai tell him what Asuka had done? Well, that would make more sense than the idea that he knew what Fubuki had told us. After all, he hadn't been there, so he couldn't have known.

Kenzan brushed it off after a moment, forcing himself to forget it. Hey, how else could you explain his sudden switch from worried stare to nervous excitement and, finally, pride?

"Okay? Yeah! I say do it! It was my idea, after all," Kenzan said, pointing a thumb at himself with a smile.

Well, it seemed the group had made up its collective mind because no one else commented. I supposed I could live with that. After all, Rei might have been a stalker, but she was more reasonable. Besides, Sho had made another good point…I thought.

"Okay! Give me that address, and I'll see what I can come up with," I said, looking at the Kaiser expectantly.

So, once armed with Rei's old address, I got to work, hoping that her parents would still be there, at least. After all, if they were, they'd know how we could contact her. It was a good thing I was doing this and not Manjoume. I'd read all about "Detective Thunder" in Sho's book _The Sacred Shadows Descend_ , and I didn't want him screwing this whole thing up. His detective skills were _beyond_ nonexistent.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

With Kyle supervising, Asuka and I went scuba diving. We saw some of the most amazing things I had ever seen! Rainbows of coral, beautiful sea life, and even a sunken ship (technically a submarine) that we heard about from the man at the resort's rental shack.

There was no doubt about it: Kyle was trying to get that girl's attention. If only she could see what a great guy he was!

While Asuka may not have seen it, I certainly did. There were some great things about Kyle that Asuka seemed to be missing out on. Mind you, he wasn't as wonderful as Judai, but he may have been better than this Eric guy that Asuka claimed to love. He was such a gentleman, watched out for both of us the whole time, made some funny jokes about some of the things we saw. This guy was definitely a close second to Judai. Just not quite as fun, being so much more mature. A great match for Asuka, though. Maybe they _should_ get together.

After a couple of hours, we resurfaced, ending our scuba diving lesson near the resort, and started removing our gear.

I decided to point out Kyle's good points for Asuka's sake.

As I waited for my chance, Asuka continued to marvel at what she had seen down there, tossing off her air tank. "Kyle… That was…"

How cute!

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

That was amazing! There were so many things under the sea that I'd never thought I'd ever see! It was a whole different world down there! We even saw a lion fish, and that old U-boat, as Kyle said, was so full of history that Kyle got a real kick out of it. The skeletons were kind of gross, but the rest was fun, at least! Honestly, that man was too amazing to handle sometimes!

We all slipped out of our gear as Kyle finished my sentence. "Amazing? I know. That's why I started. You just never know what you'll find down there. Why, it's like a whole other world, and it…it changes constantly. Sure is beautiful. Isn't it?" He put a hand to my cheek, flirting slightly.

Man, he was _so_ romantic. His tone, that glance…he was supposed to act like Manjoume—annoying and perverted. But he was still acting like he had when we first met. That was easy to mimic, too, since I'd refused his love constantly back then, as well. Why was I so stubborn during that first year? To this day, I really didn't know. After all, Kyle was a great guy.

A little _too_ great at the moment. I didn't want to keep up this act. I wanted so badly to laugh and agree with him, but Ai was there, so I pushed him off instead.

This act was starting to hurt. It was forcing me to push away the only man in the world that had ever made me feel special and actually stuck around.

"Now, Kyle, what did I say?" I asked.

I was much gentler in rejecting this guy. After all, he was being flirtatious, but he was doing it in a more respectful and less pushy way than Manjoume. Why should I be mean to a guy like that? It wasn't his fault he liked me and couldn't take a hint, after all… Hadn't I said that exact same like a couple of years ago? Repeatedly?

As if to prove his greatness yet again, Kyle pulled back, looking a bit upset but not totally crushed. He never got _that_ emotional. Unlike a certain brunette I knew. Seriously, what _was_ the guy? Did that dumb fusion turn him into a woman or something? No _man_ in their right mind would do _half_ of the stuff he did!

Kyle gathered up our suits, getting up while he did so. "Aw, come on. You know you like me. Why can't you just admit it already?"

Ai's servants (obviously Ai's, as their clothing bore the Misgarth crest) came and took our scuba gear, taking it back to the rental shack. They had been standing by waiting since we'd gone under.

Ai and I stood up as well. Since I'd heard that line from the guy several times during our first year working together, I knew _exactly_ what to say and how to act—gentle and apologetic.

"I do like you, yes," I said. "But only as a friend, okay?"

"But, Asuka—"

Ignoring Kyle, I turned my attention to Ai. If I wanted that witch to think we weren't together, I needed to stop acknowledging him, after all. Oh, my heart was breaking to hear him so upset. But there wasn't anything I could do. At least this time it was just a really stupid act.

"So? How was it? Did you have fun, Ai?" I asked, smiling.

Ai just stared at me for a moment, then said, "You know, Asuka, you should really give Kyle a chance. He's a great guy, and you two would make a great couple."

I blushed. Really? Did she _have_ to point that out? That just made this even harder for me! Really, with how good she and Judai were at making my life difficult and miserable, maybe they _should_ get married.

"R-really…"

Yes, Kyle was a great guy. Yes, we _did_ make a perfect couple. But this act would fail if I admitted that! Why couldn't Ai have left me alone that night? Why did she have to see Kyle come to _my_ rescue!? This was so unbelievably unfair!

"Come on, my love, listen to the girl," Kyle said. "She has a point, you know."

Okay, Kyle, thanks again for making my stomach flutter. This act was too tough. I had to get out of here before I jumped in his arms or something.

"I've gotta go," I said. "I just found out my brother's here, too, and I wanna make sure he's staying out of trouble. See you around, guys."

I walked off, sweating and hoping they couldn't see my blush. I had to tune him out. Maybe if I thought about all the dumb things my brother was doing instead, that would help. Why, for all I knew, he was off getting drunk again and talking some creep into marrying me. Or maybe he was auctioning off my baby pictures on the Internet again. Or he could be—Yeah, I was heading to the villa to check up on him before he could ruin my image or our whole _family's_ image.

"You don't know what you're missing, girl! Trust me," Kyle called after me.

Oh, geez! Stop it, Kyle!

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

From the look on Asuka's face, she really wanted to accept the poor man's feelings, so why wouldn't she? What was holding her back?

Kyle sighed, kicking the dirt. He looked really disappointed. "That girl. She's so stubborn, you know what I mean? Why can't she just admit that I'm the one? Why so focused on Eric? I mean, what's she see in him? He's nothing compared to me."

His tone told me that he'd been at this for a while and was close to giving up. He looked at me, still upset.

"I can't say anything about Eric, since I haven't met him," I admitted. "But you remind me a lot of the guy I like."

Kyle raised an eyebrow at me, curious. I decided to tell him why Asuka was so tough for him to hook. After all, he was enough like Judai that she was probably worried about the same thing happening with him.

I giggled. "The only difference is you're more mature. It makes sense Asuka would go for someone like you. After all, she used to have a thing for Judai. But, sadly, the two of them had one heckuva misunderstanding. He loved her, but he thought she hated him, so he never said. She didn't speak up, either, so they drifted apart. That's why he ran off, you know."

Kyle's eyes widened and he stared at me in awe as I continued.

I shook my head, saying, "Really, she should just admit that she likes you, already. But you're so much like Judai that maybe she can't. Maybe she's afraid you'll do what he did."

Now his face filled with understanding as well, though he was still awed. He nodded.

I laughed, feeling the need to defend Judai now that I'd just kind of trashed him to this man. "Not that that's likely! I mean, you've got no reason to think she doesn't like you, right?"

"True," he admitted. "Say, uh, how do you know so much about her friend Judai? I hear he hates you, so there's no _way_ he'd share all this information with you. So how do you know your guess is actually right? Hmm?"

Whoops. He sounded suspicious.

I shook my head and said, "Then you tell me what it was. Here's the facts. They all went to another dimension to save a friend of theirs, one Judai felt personally responsible for. He wasn't using his head, so he ran into danger without thinking about the others. He tried too hard to save his one friend and wound up hurting all of the others. The last words they said to him before they were sent away weren't exactly kind. Why, Asuka herself said that she was being betrayed and sent away by him, even though he hadn't meant to betray her. He'd simply made a mistake, one of his first, I might add. After all, he's saved the world countless times, so he couldn't have made too many mistakes throughout the course of the previous years, right?"

I'd gotten carried away here. I seemed to have forgotten that I was talking to Asuka's man, a man who hardly knew me. Why was I telling him all of this stuff and looking like a freak? Better yet, why did I care what he thought of me? I wasn't interested in him!

* * *

 **Kyle's POV**

I raised an eyebrow, my suspicions growing stronger. How in Heaven's name did she know all of this? Surely Judai Yuki hadn't told her. He had nothing but resentment for her. And Sho's books had never said a word about Asuka saying something untrue. In fact, according to the five who had commented on it, that part of the story was quite blurry. Jun Manjoume, Tyranno Kenzan, Fubuki Tenjoin, even the author himself wasn't sure what had happened. Jim Cook, Austin O'Brien, and Judai Yuki's comments were all missing on this section. Granted, Judai's were missing from the entire story. So, bearing in mind that those who knew would never tell her and it wasn't written anywhere, she couldn't possibly have known that.

"Anyway, that was the last thing she said to him at that time," the princess continued. "The next time he saw her was back in their dimension, and neither she nor any of the others who had been there bothered to say a word about what had happened. Why, one had even said they were idiots for calling him a friend, and then they all expected things to just go back to normal. So? What do _you_ make of that? Could it be that he felt they didn't like him anymore? And that's why he left?"

Well, that part about being "idiots for calling him a friend" certainly sounded like something The Thunder would say. I suppose that would explain why a gentleman such as Judai Yuki would suddenly "abandon all his precious friends," as Asuka had said it. Still, that book had said nothing about this. All it had said was that, for unknown reasons, Judai had sacrificed his friends, felt badly about it afterwards, and turned evil as a result. Then he had killed two of them and declared he no longer deserved friends, according to Ed the Destiny Phoenix. No one wanted to relive any of that, so they had given Judai his space when it was all over, hoping for the best as they tried to move on.

So, then, where were these atrocious words coming from? No one knew anything about them! Either Ai was psychic, or something else was going on here.

"Well, maybe," I admitted, turning to her. "But that doesn't quite answer my question, How…do you know so—"

She cut me off with, "Speaking of Judai, I should go check on him. See you, Kyle!" Then she ran off.

"Wait a moment! Ai!"

Her cleverness was quite surprising. I held a hand out as I called, signaling for her to stop, but she ignored me.

Well, she may not have been onto Asuka, but she was still quite on guard around those whom she felt might offer aid to Judai Yuki. That poor man! Would she ever leave him alone?

But…what she had said…

I kicked the dirt. "Blast. She got away. Well, I better go tell Asuka what she said. She knows far too much, all things considered. Besides, maybe she's right."

What she had said about Judai's feelings, taken in conjuncture with the missing and blurry details of Sho's fourth book, made sense. Nobody, not even such a carefree man as Judai was supposed to be, could endure such a cruel onslaught from his closest friends. Why, if Princess Ai was right, Judai's "heartless betrayal" was a two-sided incident, and _he_ felt betrayed and abandoned as well.

With that in mind, I simply had to tell Asuka. If there was even a chance that it was the truth, she needed to know. She was always feeling alone, even when she was with me, I could tell. She always complained about the past, all that Judai Yuki had done. She mentioned both the good and the bad; and, even when I held her, I could tell she wasn't seeing me. She always closed her eyes, imagining the one who had let her down. Their friendship had been much deeper, much stronger, than either of them had ever let on, and Asuka was unable to move forward without knowing the truth. Perhaps telling her this would give her the chance to salvage their invaluable friendship and finally give her what she needed to move on.

It was worth a try, at least. After all, if that couldn't help me win this losing battle against the past, nothing would. The poor girl. Could anyone ever make her happy again?

"Well, here's hoping," I said. Then I headed off to find Asuka and tell her what I had just learned.


	17. Manjoume's New Twin

**Shadgirl2: Hey, sorry about the slow-down...**

 **Midna: It's complicated, and she doesn't really want to talk about it. Medical stuff, though, so there's the reason. So bear with us. We'll try to get updates out in a more timely manner.**

 **Shadgirl2: Enough about that, though. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Johan's POV**

I hung up the phone, once more wondering why we were calling Rei in to help Judai. I mean, from the way she sounded, I knew somebody would have to drill the point home to her that she couldn't go stalking or pursuing Judai right now. Her excitement and determination were…almost scary.

Well, I might not have agreed with the plan, but it was too late to back out now. I put my phone away, turning to the others as I calmly focused on the matter at hand. "I just got off the phone with Rei. She says she wants to come, but she'll need a ride first. So I told her one of us would pick her up at the airport in Salt Lake City, Utah," I said, hoping somebody would be willing and able to pay her plane fare. "Who's going? Or am I picking her up?"

I probably should have gone to get her. After all, I knew the most about the situation, being almost the only one Judai ever talked to these days, and I wouldn't get off Rei's case until she understood it, too. She couldn't do what she'd done back in school. Hell, she couldn't even ask him on a date for a while since he would need to recover from Asuka and her betrayal. Basically Rei would have to move more slowly than she was known for if she was even going to stand a chance of pulling this off.

Still, I decided to let the others volunteer if they wanted. After all, at least one of them had to know _something_. I couldn't have been the only person who finally knew both sides.

"Don't look at me," Manjoume said. "I've already brought a stalker here."

Typical Manjoume. You know, he once pretended to be homeless, even going as far as rolling in the trash, to keep a cluster of fan-girls from harassing him before one of his duels. In other words, he wouldn't handle Rei well at all and really _shouldn't_ go. I was okay with that choice.

"I ain't going. Not in a million years," Sho said, sitting on the couch with his arms crossed.

…Okay, it was definitely time to find Judai and ask what was up with Sho as soon as this was over. He was still mimicking Manjoume's attitude, and his tone said he thought _all_ girls would hurt our friend. Why did he seem to hate all women now?

"I'd rather not risk having her fall back in love with me, thanks," the Kaiser said.

"Don't look at me!" Akiko said. "I don't have money for a round trip to Utah."

The Kaiser's excuse made sense. After all, Rei used to stalk him. But, based on what little I knew about Akiko, she had to have money somewhere. I mean, Manjoume called her for "special work" all the time, which should give you an idea of what she does for a living. ... No, not that! She's a bounty hunter! Get your mind out of the gutter!

Either way, I guess I'd found another one who wasn't willing to get Rei. But, if everyone else was actually against this plan, why were we still going through with it!?

Just as I was about to ask this, Jim said, "I'll go."

Good old Jim. Ever the optimist, he was willing to trust Rei. Well, if he thought it would be okay, I guessed it was. Besides, Jim would drive the point home, like I would, and he just might know the truth. He was stubborn, stern, and relentless when it came to any kind of lecture. As long as Rei didn't need a babysitter, he'd be fine. After all, we hadn't forgotten how three students had gotten away from him in that other dimension.

"Great! Then we all agree, then?" I asked, looking around.

Kenzan smiled, still excited about the progression of his plan. He really needed to calm down soon. After all, this "perfect" idea of his could still fail. "Works for me!"

"Whatever," the Kaiser and Sho said.

The Kaiser looked over at his brother in shock. Sho just kept his eyes closed, acting all huffy.

I took a moment to wonder what I should ask Judai about Sho's behavior: "Say, Judai, did you know Sho wants to kill anyone who says the word Asuka in his presence, hates all women, and turned into Manjoume's twin?" Nah, that would just weird him out.

"If you must," Manjoume said. He turned to Fubuki, looking slightly annoyed, and added, "Better rename your island, Tenjoin. I don't think it'll fit after _this_ attack of stalkers."

Honestly, I had to agree, but what could I do? Everyone's minds were made up, and I didn't have a better idea. Geez, too bad Judai only really knew two girls.

Fubuki rubbed his head, laughing awkwardly.

"That works," Fuyuko said, I'm guessing in response to the plan to send Jim for Rei.

"Whatev," Akiko said.

With that, it was decided. Jim would be going to get Rei, which meant that this mess would get a whole lot more complicated soon. Hopefully Judai wouldn't find out that Jim was gone and think that he'd been abandoned again, and Rei wouldn't freak him out when she got here. Hah! Who was I kidding? That was about as likely as me finding my way home to Norway from the Amazon Rain Forest _without_ Ruby's guidance. This was going to go all kinds of wrong.

I put on a brave face, though, smiling and turning to Jim as I picked up my phone again. "Okay, Jim! She's all yours! I'll just send this address to your phone…"

I typed it in as I was talking, and a moment after I hit send, Jim's phone went off. He checked it, leaving me looking at him expectantly. "Got it, Jim?" I asked.

"Yup," he said, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "I got it, mate."

"Great," Manjoume said. "Then get going. We can't call this place Stalker Island without gathering _all_ the stalkers we know here."

Admittedly, that joking title seemed to make more sense than Island of the Maiden, especially with maiden being an old word for an _unmarried_ , most likely virgin woman who would hopefully not be a stalker. I mean, that name just sounded way too innocent, given the kinds of things that were going on here. Isle of the Stalker _would_ make more sense… But this wasn't the time to focus on that! Judai was in trouble, Asuka and Sho were both total messes, and Rei would be showing up soon! There wasn't _time_ to be goofing around with all the things that needed done! Focus, Andersen!

While I was having my little sidetracking issue, Jim got up and headed out to go get Rei. I had just realized that somebody could have taken their own plane, given that at least Manjoume _had_ to have brought his own ride. Maybe Jim could borrow his ride? …Then again, how did Haruko find him if he took his private jet?

Well, either way, Jim was on his way, leaving me with one less thing to worry about. Now we just had to make sure Rei knew how to act around Judai, mend two broken hearts, and figure out what the heck was wrong with Sho.

You know, Manjoume had brought up something earlier that I had to wonder about: Why did my group of friends seem to revolve around all kinds of strange and depressing issues?

* * *

 **Akiko's POV**

Like hell this idea would work! I remembered Rei. She was that psycho who kept sneaking into Duel Academy—a high school on an island in the middle of the fucking _ocean_ —just to be near the guys she was crushing on! Sure, she was just a kid back then, but what the hell does that say about her!? Who thinks that's okay, even at that young age!?

Well, either way, I didn't have any better ideas, so I didn't fight them on it. I mean, yeah, for some strange reason, Judai was the kind of weirdo who actually considered his stalkers friends, which tells you just how much Ai screwed up. Getting Judai to hate you wasn't easy.

Manjoume looked around a bit, looking annoyed and confused. Thinking of Haru again? "Seriously, though. Where's Haruko?" he asked. "She should have shown up to 'surprise' me by now. What's taking so long?"

Yup, thinking of Haru. The guy was pouting like a little kid, his arms and legs both crossed. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed or confused, seeing as those two emotions looked a lot alike on that guy.

Well, speak of the devil and the devil shall appear, as the saying goes. No sooner had Manjoume finished talking had Haruko walked up behind him. Never could tell when she wasn't wanted.

"Uh, Manjoume?" she said hesitantly.

"Right on cue," he muttered. Looking annoyed, he turned and looked at her over the back of the couch, saying, "Listen. If I told you Momoe and I were getting married, _then_ would you leave me alone?"

Haru looked hurt, which I knew meant that a certain man here was going to get all defensive of her soon. "I didn't even do anything yet… Do you hate me so much that we can't even be friends?"

Geez, she sounded hurt, too! Yeah, she'd be getting defense soon.

Right on cue, Fuyuko walked over to her and said, "Haruko, don't worry about him. Stop chasing someone who doesn't know what you're worth, and find someone who does."

Good advice, Fuyuko. At least, in other circumstances. In this case, though, I didn't think it was quite the same. I mean, she _was_ creeping on a guy who had a girlfriend. Man, Fuyuko could be seriously blind to Haruko's faults. Why didn't he just ask her out already and get it over with? We could all tell he liked her.

Manjoume got to his feet, glaring at Fuyuko. "Well, excuse me for having a _girlfriend_. What?" He leaned in toward Fuyuko, glaring, and added, "That illegal where _you_ come from or something?"

If Haruko was acting hurt by someone's actions, even breathing was illegal in Fuyu's mind, Manjoume.

He gestured to Haruko in annoyance, saying, "I mean, seriously. She can't take a hint. How can I trust her to not try anything if we _were_ friends?" He crossed his arms and turned away, glaring over his shoulder. "You're something else, Fuyuko." Then he closed his eyes.

Uh-oh. I figured that by "try something," he meant keep flirting and try to steal him from his girlfriend, but that wasn't the best way to word it, in that case. I mean, you all know what that sounds like, right? And, knowing Fuyuko, he'd pick up on _that_ meaning and get mad.

Sure enough, he glared at Manjoume. "She flirts. That's how she is. But she _isn't_ going to 'try anything,' and the fact that you think she will shows me that you know nothing about her."

…Why the fuck would he be trying to get to know her? Knowing Haruko, she probably came up to him out of the blue, confessed her "love" for him, and asked him to marry her or something! Who the hell would try to get to know their stalkers!? Man, Fuyuko, she had you wrapped around her little finger, didn't she?

Manjoume gritted his teeth, growling quietly. I could almost see a vein pulsing on his head, getting ready to burst.

Haruko looked stunned but happy, casting a starry-eyed gaze at Fuyuko. "Fuyu-chan…"

Manjoume's eyes shot open, and he whirled on Fuyuko again, glaring just as fiercely as Fuyuko. His tone made it clear he thought Fuyuko was a moron as he said, "No, I don't know anything about her! What do you think!? That I get to _know_ my stalkers on a regular basis!? Who does that!?" He jabbed a finger in Fuyuko's face, adding, "Name me _one_ guy, if you think you can."

The arrogance in his tone there at the end made me have to speak up. I mean, he seemed to think it was impossible to do that, even though we'd _just_ sent Jim to fetch somebody's stalker to try and hook them up.

"Judai?" I said.

Whoops. Manjoume looked like he was just seconds away from a massive explosion now. He was shaking, veins were bulging out all over, and the sound rising in his throat was bound to turn into an earsplitting scream soon enough.

Johan's pupils were contracted, and he was sweating as he watched Manjoume out of the corner of his eye. He intervened then, apparently worried Manjoume _would_ explode. "Uh, guys? He has a point…"

Yeah, I knew that. But, he had to admit, I was right, wasn't I? I mean, nobody would have even _considered_ calling Rei in if Judai didn't think she was a friend.

Manjoume shut up and cooled off as Johan continued, "I mean, _most_ guys try to _avoid_ their stalkers, not get to know them. Judai, he's, uh…"

Crazy?

"Weird," Sho said. "That's all there is to it. And he's not very careful with his _heart_ , either, trust me."

Still acting like an aggressive little creep, huh? I liked him better when he wasn't snapping at people's heels like a small dog gone wild.

Kenzan cast a concerned look at Sho once again, his eyes softening and helplessness sinking into his expression. "Marufuji-senpai…"

"They have a point, Haruko," Fuyuko admitted. Oh, finally calmed down, did you? "You need to stop doing this. When you meet a boy that you like, you shouldn't stalk him. Try talking to him instead. And do yourself a favor and quit taking Natsuko's advice. It only works for Natsuko."

Ugh, my brother came into the conversation somehow. You know, I often try to forget I _have_ a brother, he's just that bad! On that note, it's a damn miracle his advice even works for _him_!

"…Okay…" Haruko said, sounding like she'd been properly chastised. Well, I'd make sure of that later by adding a bit of my own. But, for now, I could let it slide.

"Right," Johan said. "Now that that's settled, meeting adjourned. Catch you all later. I'm gonna go check on Judai." He got up and headed out. Good thing, too, because his friend probably needed somebody nearby, given how Sho was acting.

Sho stayed right where he was. He didn't even change his position at all this whole time. "Good. Tell me how he's doing 'cause _I'm_ sure as _hell_ not going _there_. I might run into _You-Know-Who._ "

Seriously getting old, Sho, but whatev.

Ryo and Kenzan stared at him as if they were getting the same bad feeling. So, finally realize that he'd found out about Asuka's betrayal—and maybe even something we didn't know?

Fuyuko put an arm around Haruko's shoulders, drawing my attention back to more important matters than moody little Sho. "Come on, Haruko," he said, walking her out for what I hoped would be their first real date.

I couldn't help but smirk. _They got him all defensive. How cute._

I'll be honest, I'm not that big on romance. Other girls like to talk about boys all the time, but I could care less. Not that I'm not _interested_ in boys, mind you, but they weren't all that fun to talk about for hours. Still, Fuyuko and Haruko were cute together, and he was probably the only guy she'd ever fall for that would get to know her at all. If only the idiot would just stop being so paralyzed by shyness.

Most of the others got up and left, too, heading for the beach or their rooms. The rest, including Manjoume and me, turned on the TV to see if there was anything good on. Hey, why would I leave the villa and risk running into my idiot brother, who was probably drunk, in jail, or knocking up some poor woman somewhere? Or maybe even some combination of the three.

* * *

 **Ryo's POV**

After everyone had left, I looked over at my brother. There were just so many things wrong here. For starters, he had always been gentle, which made his new attitude even harder to understand. The only times that Sho ever got angry with anyone was when they did something selfish or stupid, and it always passed quickly. Additionally, aside from certain bizarre medical conditions of his, he was never this bad, and the timing was off for that. To top it all off, he had called his Aniki a fool, something that he should never do. What in the world had gotten into him? I mean, he'd been concerned about mine and Judai's well-beings during our lowest points, so why was he so furious with Asuka?

I decided to address the issue. "Sho, what's gotten into you? You sounded like me a minute ago."

I had always been known for keeping calm, but Sho was always giving off his opinions and blowing up about things, so sounding like me meant he was just about the opposite of normal.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he said, standing up.

Kenzan got up as well, looking worried. I couldn't blame him, but, if Sho didn't want to talk, it was useless to force the matter. It was best to just leave him alone for now. Maybe he'd straighten this out on his own, whatever it was.

"Marufuji-senpai!"

Sho stood there for a second, then said, "See ya," as he headed out.

Well, there wasn't any point worrying about him. He'd be alright. Instead, I joined Manjoume and Akiko, who had found some sort of movie involving gang activity to watch. No doubt it would be a bloody film with death and gore left and right, which wasn't exactly my preference, but it was better than what Fubuki wanted to do, so it was fine by me.

Kenzan watched Sho go, concerned, before turning to me and asking, "Man, what is _wrong_ with that guy?"

"Maybe he knows about Asuka," I said.

It made sense, after all. Sho knew how Asuka and Judai had felt during high school, and he knew all about Asuka's side of the story. Asuka had complained to me from time to time about men and how they "never get it" and how those who did were "real jerks." Sometimes she did this in person, and Sho would be in the room for it. He knew that Judai had been alone last night and had gone looking for him. Obviously, given that Manjoume and Kenzan had said that Asuka had yelled at them, Sho would have figured something out from Judai. What he really knew was the only mystery here, and that would stay that way if he didn't say anything. But that was fine. Sho could handle his own issues; he didn't need a babysitter to help him with them.

Kenzan looked at me in confusion, a look which I chose to ignore. As far as I was concerned, this conversation was over. There was nothing more that needed said.

"Really?" Kenzan asked.


	18. Eavesdropping is a Bad Idea

**Edit: So, uh... I already posted this, but I realized that I skipped a chapter awhile back. Chapter 15 changed. Sorry about that. This should make more sense now.**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

You're going to think terribly of me after I tell you this, but you probably already hate me to begin with, so what harm could this do? Bear in mind, however, that I've changed since this all went down, so try not to judge me too harshly.

I knew where Judai was now, and, in my obsessive desire to make him mine, I decided to act upon my desires again. When I was done on the beach with Asuka, I returned to my room and waited, watching, for those two that were with Judai to leave. The waitress left for a bit, returning shortly with a bowl of steaming food and a plastic bag that I could only guess contained cold medicine. Minutes after she returned, she came back out with Natsuko, and my chance appeared. The two of them headed off, double checking to make sure the door was locked before they did.

Once the coast was clear, I slipped down the hallway to her room. I tried the door, finding exactly what I had expected: it was locked. No problem. This villa only had electronic locks on the doors of certain rooms, and the room occupied by a waitress certainly didn't make the cut. Odd as it was, I had skills at picking locks, and I put these to use here to get that door open.

Inside, Judai was lying in bed, sleeping. His jacket was hanging off the back of a chair. Here's the part you're not going to like. I slipped out of my swimsuit—I'd been so busy watching the hallway, I hadn't even changed. Besides, when trying to win a man's heart, a very revealing string bikini could be more useful than the most extravagant attire. Once I was stripped down to nothing more than my birthday suit, I slid into the bed beside Judai, who stirred almost instantly. Good, it was much easier to seduce a man who was awake.

"Mm." He opened his eyes, still half asleep as he turned to me. "Ai…?" His eyes widened suddenly, and he shot straight up. "Ai! What the heck!?"

"You know you wanna, Judai," I said, my voice low, trying to awaken the dormant male inside of him. "Come on."

Any other man would have been so aroused by the way I'd positioned myself—I mean, I've got the body every woman wishes she could have, with a tiny waist and huge breasts, so what's not to love—but Judai's face reddened as he cried, "P-put some clothes on!"

"Aw, come on, Judai!" I said, sitting up and wrapping my arms around his neck. "Don't be so stubborn."

He pushed me away again, saying, "I just remembered that I forgot that I had to…remember something, and I should go do that now." He got up, clearly planning on leaving.

I didn't plan on letting him go that easily. I could hardly believe that he wasn't at all aroused. I mean, I was lying naked in his bed, and I was way more attractive than that stupid blond he was brooding over! I grabbed his arm and said, "Come _on_! Aren't you a man!? Do something! You know Asuka doesn't care about you, right!?"

"That's low, Ai!" He pulled away, saying, "Just leave me alone! Geez! This isn't even my bed!" Then, without shoes or socks on, he ran from the room.

"Judai! Wait!"

Obviously he didn't. I'd messed up again. I really did have a knack for that back then.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Can you say totally crazy woman? Because I sure as hell could! In my drive to get out of there, I forgot about half my clothes—my shoes, socks, jacket…all left in Lisa's room. Oh, well. Somebody could get those back to me easily enough.

I ran as far away from there as possible, going faster than any regular human could, and I didn't stop until I was near the rocky cliffs on the other side of the beach.

As I caught my breath, Yubel appeared beside me, saying, _"Well,_ that _was as fun as always. Why don't we try teaching her a lesson already?"_

Ah, yes, the Judai's-such-an-idiot-why-do-I-put-up-with-him annoyance was in her tone there. But wasn't the first rule of self-defense that you should try to get _away_ from what was threatening you, not attack it?

"Because…that won't…make me any better… than her…" I breathed.

 _"It's_ _called self-defense, stupid. She's right. You_ are _too stubborn."_

See, I knew she'd bring up self-defense. That's why I used that little example up there.

"I can get away from her without doing that. Why waste energy?" was the argument I gave Yubel. After all, anything else would probably not work on her, either. She'd have attacked Ai herself a long time ago—if I hadn't always held her back.

Before Yubel could retort, I heard Asuka giggling nearby. "I know," she said to someone. "And you weren't too bad yourself, either. Sorry I was so rough with you, but you know Ai."

"Huh?"

Yeah, I was curious. I mean, can you blame me? Who was she talking to, and why was Ai part of the conversation? So I headed for the rock formations nearby, behind which her voice had come from.

Seriously, that had to be one of the biggest mistakes I'd ever made in my entire life, and that was saying something.

One peek around those rocks showed me who she was talking to. It was that punk Kyle. Don't ask me why I hated him so much—I just did. And the more I heard about him, the more I hated him. It wasn't a normal thing for me, but that's how it was. Right then, I wanted to use my powers on him: he and Asuka were standing there, holding each other's arms.

"I know, my love," he said, making me hate him even more. "She's crazy. Do you know what she said to me right after you left? She told me a bunch of things about Judai she shouldn't have even _known_. Can you believe that?"

Oh, great! So Ai was sharing secrets with that stupid Kyle now!? It wasn't any of his business!

"Well, don't worry," Asuka said. "Soon we'll find him a girlfriend, and this whole thing will be over."

Yeah, a girlfriend.

"Too true. But I couldn't help but notice that your acting back there seemed far more passionate than it should have been. Is there something you're not telling me?"

What? What acting? Was it about me again? I wasn't the only one who thought her acting seemed all too real when it came to me, then?

My answer came all too soon as Asuka pulled away from Kyle, turning and rubbing an arm. She looked…upset, even hurt. Oh, no, please, don't tell me…

Kyle moved closer to her, tipping her chin back over her shoulder slightly so that he could look her in the eye. He was just so damned concerned about her. "Come on, love. Tell the truth. What do you _really_ think of Judai? You claim to be friends, but what I saw with Ai clearly says differently, now, doesn't it?"

Shit. No, Asuka, don't answer that. I already suspected it—I didn't need you _confirming_ it.

She started, her eyes full of uncertainty and hurt. "I…I-I…" She sighed, looking down, then said, "Yeah. I guess you're right."

No, shit, no!

She looked back up at him, the hurt and uncertainty still there. "I-I mean, he did _leave_ without saying goodbye." Turning away, her expression lost the uncertainty and picked up a look of betrayal. "Leaving me wondering…" She turned back to Kyle, the betrayal gone as quickly as it had appeared. "A-and he never really knew how I felt about him, from what I could tell. So I guess you're right. Deep down, I—"

Don't finish that, Asuka! I was screaming in my head, knowing that I didn't want to hear this, that I should just run before she finished that thought. She turned away from Kyle once again, her arms crossed and her eyes closed. But the pain was still showing—you couldn't hide that from a guy who'd spent half of his last year in school thinking his friends hated him. It looked like she didn't want to face it.

Just like I didn't want to face the possibility, the one that was threatening to become fact right in front of me. Why the hell was I eavesdropping, anyway!?

Kyle moved closer, reaching out for her again. His tone and expression were gentle but serious as he said, "Come on, Asuka. Let it go. You won't feel any better until you do." He took hold of her, turning her back toward him.

No, damn it! Don't encourage her! I didn't want to hear it! Why the fuck was I still standing here!?

She looked at him uncertainly, the hurt and betrayal clear in her eyes, which were filling with tears she tried to fight. "I guess I…" She sighed. Then, looking at him with a betrayed glare on her face, she said the words I wish I'd never heard: "I hate him. I hate him, okay? I mean, he led me on like that. Made me think he was something special, then turned out to be a complete jerk. I mean, who else would leave their friends without saying goodbye?"

My blood ran cold. There it was. The truth. The woman I loved hated me, just as I'd feared. But…her reason…was because I left without saying goodbye? But she'd accused me of betraying her long before that, and she never bothered taking it back! She truly believed what she had said that day, so why was I suddenly a bad guy for not saying goodbye to a girl I had "betrayed?" Why was _that_ what she hated me for!?

Yubel turned a concerned look on me, obviously. I mean, those words basically confirmed what I'd thought for so long. _"Judai?"_

Kyle pulled Asuka into his arms as she started to cry. "It's okay. It's okay," he soothed, stroking her hair.

Hate… I should have felt that for Kyle, especially there. But the only one I hated right then was myself. I'd messed up, and I'd lost my only chance because of it. If I'd been "leading her on," then she must have liked me at one point. But, now…

 _"_ _Judai?"_ Yubel slowly reached for my shoulder.

No more. I couldn't stand there anymore and watch this. I did what I should have done in the first place: I turned and ran away from there as fast as I could.

Even though running away was what had caused her to feel that way about me in the first place.

* * *

 **Kyle's POV**

The girl had finally done it. She had finally let her true feelings out, finally admitted them to herself. Well, that had only taken a year, assuming those feelings hadn't been festering ever since the day Judai had left. Poor girl. But, at long last, she could begin the long and difficult road to healing.

Starting with what I was going to tell her as soon as she calmed down.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Asuka to calm herself. She wasn't one to show any sort of weakness for long, if at all. The moment she began to regain control of herself, I pushed her back and looked at her. I wanted to make sure she was in a reasonable mood for what I was going to say.

"Feeling better now?" I asked.

"Y-yeah. I think so," she said. She sniffled a bit, rubbing her eyes.

Yes, she had indeed calmed down. It would be fine to tell her what Princess Ai had said about Judai. After all, while I couldn't speak for Judai, this entire situation could very well have more to it if even a word of what she had spoken were true. For all I knew, Judai harbored a secret hatred for Asuka as well.

I looked at her seriously, trying very hard to convey the message that I was not joking around at all, and decided to address the matter calmly and carefully. "Good. Because I wanted to tell you, there seems to be more to his story than you would believe."

Not an exaggeration at all. I'd been told that she could be quite unreasonable when someone tried to discuss how Judai felt about anything that had happened in their final year of schooling.

Asuka looked up at me with an expression of surprise and uncertain confusion. "W-what?"

She appeared curious, so I chose to press on. I began telling her all that Princess Ai and I had discussed, hoping that she would believe me. I had never lied to her before, after all; but, when it came to Judai Yuki, everyone was a liar in her eyes.

I just had to hope and pray that wouldn't be the case this time.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going as I ran from that scene. I was just trying to get as far away as I could, trying to outrun the memory, even though I knew it was impossible. You can't run away from your thoughts, no matter how badly you want to.

In the end, I wound up crashing into the stupid barrier Ai had put up, knocking me to the ground. The crash also knocked something else out of me, and I didn't even bother getting up as the tears that had been threatening since I'd left that dumb place started to fall. I kept my head lowered to hide them—I hated crying in front of anyone since I'd fused with Yubel. It seemed like an unnecessary display of weakness these days, especially because of something like _that_.

Yubel knelt down beside me, putting a hand on my back as she tried to comfort me. _"I'm sorry. This is all my fault, isn't it?"_

For the first time ever, she was willing to accept some blame for something that had happened to me. But it wasn't entirely her fault. I mean, sure, I'd thought Asuka hated me already because of something that Yubel had caused, which had made me do something stupid that _did_ make her hate me, but it was my decision to leave without saying anything, and it could all be traced back to that day I sent Yubel into space.

So Asuka hating me…was all my fault.

I didn't say a word. Why try talking through stupid tears?

* * *

 **Yubel's POV**

Okay, this was worrisome. That stupid girl had _really_ done it this time! First she didn't do what was expected of her that damn night of the Pair Duel Tournament (even if I didn't approve), then she had the nerve to shove her overly perfect _boyfriend_ in Judai's face, then she acted like she was on Ai's side _to his face_ , and _now_ she was claiming it was all his fault that she hadn't said a word or even _hinted_ that she wanted him to stay and was blaming him for leaving her behind! The little bitch! Granted, he should have at least said goodbye to those friends of his, but still, that _thing_ was taking it way too far.

Judai needed a friend, _any_ friend, that could show him it was just the bitch who hated him. And he needed one now. He'd suspected they all did—or, at least, most of them—for too long.

I needed to stay and look after Judai, so I decided to send someone else to look for one of the "vacationing" fools this side of the barrier. Hopefully there was someone!

 _"_ _Kuriboh!"_ I called.

Winged Kuriboh appeared with a kuri. I pointed at the beach urgently. Really, the only way this could be worse would be if Ai came over and took advantage of the situation!

 _"_ _Comb the beach for any_ one _of his friends! See if you can't get one to come here! Hurry!"_

Since there wasn't anyone around at the time, I decided that it would be fine to take on a more solid form, which was only possible due to mine and Judai's powers. I scooped Judai up in my arms and held him close, trying to soothe. To any who couldn't see spirits, I'd still be invisible, but Judai could feel my touch, at least.

Winged Kuriboh nodded and flew off in search of help.

I kept trying to soothe Judai, holding him close and rubbing his back gently. Don't give me that! I could be gentle when I wanted to!

 _"_ _It's okay,"_ I said. _"It's okay… I know. It hurts, don't it? I've been there before, believe me. But it'll get better in time. Trust me."_

He just kept crying. Clearly my words weren't going to get through to him. Honestly, that man could be worse than Sho sometimes.

 _"_ _Would it help if I said that you'll always have me, no matter what happens? And not_ just _because we're fused together?"_

No answer. Was he just so out of it that he'd gone into his own little world? That woman was getting a _serious_ dose of Nightmare Pain for this, trust me.

Winged Kuriboh returned then, sweating. There was a lame look on the hairball's face. Well, _that_ was reassuring, wasn't it? There wasn't anyone on the beach right now, was there? I figured I might as well ask, just in case. After all, that look could mean that Manjoume was the only one around. He'd been acting like a total dweeb ever since he got here, after all. I mean, come on, trying to pass his stalker on to another man? What kind of a loser does the sorts of things he'd been doing just to be stalker-free? Where was his pride? Or, for that matter, his _dignity._ As far as I was concerned, he wasn't a man; he was a _mouse._

 _"_ _Well?"_ I asked. _"You find anyone?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, Natsuko,"_ the Kuriboh answered. _"Getting married to a near stranger…"_

…What the fuck? That man was almost more annoying than Manjoume had been lately! I mean, come _on_! _Flirting_ with _every_ girl in sight? Harassing a waitress into getting down and dirty with him? And, now, he was getting married! What the hell was that clown's deal? Worse than that, the idiot couldn't see duel spirits, so he wouldn't be any help to us.

I looked at the Kuriboh lamely, putting Judai down. I was hoping that the answer to my next question would be a no. However, knowing this circus brigade Judai called his friends, it probably was. _"He the only one?"_

Winged Kuriboh nodded lamely.

Well, chalk another one up for this band of rejects! They were never around when you needed them! Now I'd have to try something that Judai never let me do. This was never going to work.

Annoyed now, I stood up, eying my partner. _"…Great."_

I started pushing into Judai, trying to take over his body so I could call someone. Taking him over was an impossibility, even if we did share the same body! Every time I tried this, he fought me tooth and nail, regardless of the reason, and he always won in the end. He had even started tossing my cards from his deck to his graveyard in recent years to get me to stop. That might not sound like much, but it was a massive weakness for duel spirits, especially if they happened to belong to a man who could bring Duel Monsters cards to life. Either way, needless to say, I'd quit trying. But this time was urgent. Like it or not, Judai, I was coming through!

…He didn't even put up a fight. As soon as I set about taking control, I'd done it. This was worse than I'd thought. Had he even noticed I was taking control? Did he know _now_? Would he ever? Yeah, he needed a solid, human friend to snap him out of this immediately.

I knew full well who the best person was to call, so I pulled Judai's phone out and dialed his number. Nobody besides _that guy_ could get through to Judai when he was like this. _Nobody._

* * *

 **Johan's POV**

I was on my way through town when my phone went off. Great. There was only one person that could be right now, and a call from him was urgent. What had Ai done now?

I stopped and checked. Sure enough, Judai was the one calling. Somebody had to do something about Ai already. She was _way_ too persistent.

I answered the phone, saying, "Hello? What's up, pal?"

"Andersen," came a distorted version of Judai's voice from the other end of the line. "It's Yubel. Get over here ASAP. Judai needs you _now._ "

My eyes widened. How on Earth was Yubel doing that!? _Why_ was she doing that!? What the hell had that Ai done!?

"What!?" I cried. I couldn't think of anything else to say right then.

Yubel didn't answer—she just hung up the phone, leaving everything up to my imagination.

I stared at my phone for a second, not liking the sound of that at all. Now I really needed to find Judai! If Yubel was making the call and Judai was _that_ bad off, Ai must have _really_ screwed up this time! I had to hurry and find him _fast_!

"…Great." I ran off for the beach, using Ruby as a Judai detector.

* * *

 **Yubel's POV**

Once the call was made, I put the phone away and returned control to Judai. He collapsed again, and I picked him back up, going back to soothing him as I held him close and rubbed his back. That poor man wasn't noticing anything around him. That bitch was _so_ dead.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Yubel had taken over my body. Of that, I was aware. I didn't care, though—I didn't feel like fighting her over it right then. I didn't feel like doing much of anything. I mean, I'd just found out that my first love hated me! One of my closest friends, holding a secret hatred for me for the last six years! Why the hell would I want to do anything!?

 _"_ _It's okay, Judai,"_ Yubel said. _"She's clearly a worthless friend, anyway. You don't need friends like her. You're better than she is."_

"Sh-she wasn't u-until y-y-you messed things up!" I said through tears that I was trying in vain to stop. Seriously, I felt like a total wimp.

Yubel pulled back, looking a bit guilty. _"…I know. And I'm sorry, okay?"_ she said gently, apologetically.

I didn't answer her. I just kept crying, cursing my stupid emotions. I wasn't this emotional since I'd fused with Yubel, so why the hell did that have to change now!?

 _"_ _Judai…"_

She sounded hurt, but it was true. She had caused the events that led me to think they hated me, so it was because of her that I'd left without a word. Why say goodbye to people who don't even like you?

"S-sorry doesn't fix things…"

She just looked at me sadly. _"Maybe so, but was it_ all _me? I mean, you heard her. You made some pretty bad mistakes back there, too, you know."_

There was a loud thud as Winged Kuriboh fell from the sky, X's in his eyes and his tongue sticking out of his mouth. But that was the least of my concerns right then.

"I-I know!" I cried, feeling even worse. After all, it _was_ partly my fault. Maybe entirely my fault, if you considered the fact that I'd been the reason Yubel had done those things in the first place.

Yubel put me down in a sitting position, looking at me with an expression mixed with hurt and guilt. _"Judai."_

I didn't answer. I didn't feel like talking right then. I just wanted to be left alone.

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

I gasped, my hands flying to my face in horror as Kyle finished his story. Ai somehow knew _everything_ that had gone down in Dark World, even _Judai's_ side of it!? How the hell could she know that!? She wasn't there at all!

"So _that's_ what Ai's gathered by snooping around too much!?"

While I was standing there in shock, Kyle crossed his arms, ever the calm one. But, really, Ai couldn't know that! It was impossible!

"Pretty much," Kyle said. "Not sure if that's what was _really_ going through the boy's head back then, but it's worth asking about, all things considered."

I turned away. It…made sense. Ai's crazy story made perfect sense. None of us could remember exactly what had gone down in that dimension. The only thing we could all agree on was that we had been sacrificed because of Judai's carelessness. We'd made it clear that we blamed him for the sacrifices, too. Thinking back, he had only started avoiding us after all of that had happened! Was it possible that there was a connection? Maybe…because he thought…

"So it's my fault, then," I said. Then I growled. "Damn! Why didn't I think of that sooner? I'm such a—"

I was on the verge of tears for the second time in one day, but this time guilt was the cause. What kind of a friend _was_ I!? I had known something was wrong, but I never once suspected that, even though it was the _obvious_ cause! All of us had come out of that event with scars, so why not Judai, too!? What, did I think he was invulnerable to such things? He's _human_ , just like the rest of us, and just as prone to breaking down as anyone! Why would I have ever thought that saying such things wouldn't cause him pain!? The way he had acted afterwards had hurt me, hadn't it!?

Kyle put his hands firmly on my shoulders, using a gentle tone when he said, "It's not your fault. You didn't know. From what you could gather, things like that always rolled right off his back in those days. And, since he wouldn't tell you, you had no possible way of knowing that it didn't. So it's as much his fault as it is yours, right?"

"R-right…"

Right…and wrong. I couldn't remember exactly what we had said, but I knew we'd made it clear that we felt betrayed. No one would be okay after hearing the words we said, not even a carefree guy like Judai, and we were idiots for thinking he _would_ be fine! So it was more our faults than his. After all, who wants to talk to people they think hate them? That's just not natural, and even Judai didn't violate _that_ law of human nature!

Ever the calm and reasonable one, Kyle kept being gentle, showing me just how much he cared for my well-being and the well-being of my friends. Why, he didn't even know Judai, yet he was trusting him!

"Perhaps it's time you talked to him about it," Kyle said. "There seems to be a major misunderstanding here, and, if not dealt with in a mature and proper manner quickly, it could result in the termination of your friendship. Now, if you don't want that to occur, I'd suggest going and finding him, stat."

"You're right. Thanks, Kyle. I'll do that," I said. Then I kissed him on the lips quickly before pulling away and heading off.

That man was truly amazing. He'd listened to my side of the story, forced me to admit the truth to myself (even if the "truth" was that I hated Judai for unfair reasons based on stupid stuff I wanted to forget about for good after this), and then gave me a reason why my judgment was unfair. While creepy, given who knew it, it could very well be true. I still couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner! To top it all off, Kyle had then given me a suggestion about what to do to fix it. Now, if Judai would just open up to me the same way I'd opened up to Kyle, we could end this misunderstanding once and for all.

"Good luck, my love!" Kyle called after me. "I know you can do it!"

Feeling much better (albeit stupider), I headed back toward the resort to talk to Judai. Hopefully he was still there, resting.


	19. Asuka's True Feelings

**A/N: Words echoing in someone's head are in bold and italics.**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Johan's POV**

When I got to the beach, I found Judai. Yubel was holding him as I approached, but she dropped him and stepped aside with her arms crossed when she saw me. He was right there where the barrier was, and his shoes and jacket were missing. On top of that, it looked like there'd been some sort of struggle. Or was that just my mind running wild? I really hoped it was.

I ran over, worried. This did _not_ look good. Had Ai finally succeeded? If so, she was dead this time! Judai had had enough a _long_ time ago. Especially since I still needed to tell him the bad news about Asuka! I mean, if I didn't and he found out on his own, it would be way worse than if it came from a caring friend, right? Regardless, Judai had enough mental issues to deal with as it was! He didn't need rape to add to the mix!

"Judai," I said, getting down beside him and gripping his shoulders. "Judai! Are you okay!?"

Given that he didn't answer me, I thought for a second that he was completely out of it. But then I made him look at me. When I saw his face, I knew why he hadn't answered me. His eyes were red from crying, his face streaked with tears. And Judai wasn't one for upsetting his friends with his issues (which was one of the reasons his problems always got so big), so it made sense he wouldn't say anything.

But…what had Ai done to make him cry? Even worse, she probably didn't even care, the lousy—

I cut that thought off, turning back to the matter at hand. "Hey, hey," I said. "Come on, talk to me! What happened!? It doesn't involve Ai, does it!?"

Better safe than sorry, after all. I mean, sure, Ai was the most _likely_ culprit, but, with Judai's abandonment issues, you never knew.

"A-Ai…?" he said. "N-no. I-it's not…"

So Ai wasn't the cause. I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or more worried. After all, the only one left that could hurt him this badly would be that traitor, and _that_ was a wound that could kill him. It would also explain why Sho was so mad. But, wait… If Judai was this bad off, why wasn't Sho still here? Didn't he _care_ that Judai was in so much pain? Oh, no, was this some sort of sick double-header caused by _two_ friends' betrayals!?

I needed to get the story straight before I said something stupid. Better safe than sorry!

I kept calm on the outside even as a hurricane blew through me inside. Still holding Judai's shoulders, I said, "It's okay, pal. Deep breaths. Now, tell me what happened. If it wasn't Ai, then who _did_ do all this?"

"A-Asuka… Sh-she…"

"What?"

Shit. This wasn't good. I pulled back a bit, trying to process that. Manjoume and Kenzan had said Asuka was mean to them all, but—

Yubel chimed in before I finished this thought, _"I'll tell you what. She was being a flirtatious bitch is what. Why, she was—"_

She was getting hot around the collar, so I knew where this was going. Asuka's hatred had reared its ugly face again, and Sho must have missed it! I mean, why else would he say that the first person to say Asuka dies while staying away from Judai himself? Now the only question was when last night's issue had ended…unless it _hadn't_ ended and Judai had been pretending to be okay, like he was always doing.

"She h-hates me!" Judai cut Yubel off. "Sh-she told K-Kyle…she hates me f-for running off after g-graduation."

I looked away, letting go of Judai for a moment.

He knew. And, from the sound if things, he'd found out thanks to his enhanced hearing, a "gift" he'd gotten from that fusion with Yubel. But now wasn't the time to blame her for all of Judai's problems. I had a long, hard talk ahead of me…of course, I'd be leaving out the _worst_ of it! I didn't want to break him even more!

"Yeah, I know," I said, keeping my gaze averted as I tried to figure out the best way to say this. "Fubuki told us."

How much should I even say? I mean, the story was painful enough for _me_ to listen to, and I barely knew Asuka! On top of it all, Judai would probably blame himself for it, and only _Asuka_ would be able to convince him it wasn't his fault. Since he was crushing on her _and_ would find a reason why it was his fault, this would crush him to dust!

While I was trying to figure out how to do this without leaving Judai in such a poor state that I'd have to keep an eye on him 24/7, he demanded, "Th-then why didn't anyone t-tell me!?"

Oh, great, there was betrayal in his tone. I couldn't let him think that in a hundred billion years. I looked him straight in the eye, putting the surprise and hurt I'd felt at the story into my eyes and voice as I said, "We were gonna! But we just found out about it last night, so we haven't had the chance to yet! He said that she was in love with you and, when you left her, it broke her heart, and—"

"W-what? In love with me?"

"Yeah. Apparently. He said she'd had her eye on you since the first time she saw you duel and was saddened when you came back to this world a totally different person. She wished you'd go back to being you, like the rest of us did. But you didn't. You avoided the others and had them thinking that meant you hated them or something. And even before that, she said you never acknowledged her feelings. You two were just friends, and that's all you'd ever be. So, when she met Kyle, she decided to move on. To put the past behind her and look to the future. You were gone. He was there. End of story. Or so Fubuki says, anyway."

Okay, so I'd gotten most of that out of Asuka's diaries, which Fubuki had stolen. But I wasn't going to tell him the rest of what everyone had said last night! That was a thousand times _worse_.

I thought back to what had happened last night.

* * *

When Fubuki had said he knew why Asuka would betray us, we'd all been listening intently. I didn't know about the rest of them, but I'd been wondering what was up with Asuka for a long time. She'd been more bitter toward all of her male friends, and the last time we'd spoken before this whole mess, she'd accused me of "hitting on her like a pervert" after I said hello.

Manjoume moved to sit on the floor opposite Kenzan, looking at Fubuki with as much eagerness as he ever showed.

"Okay. Let's start with the facts," Fubuki had said. "Sorry, Manjoume, but you're with Momoe now, so hopefully it won't matter to you anymore!"

Manjoume just sat there, his arms crossed, acting like he didn't care even though we could all tell he was a bit annoyed.

Well, with that in mind, I knew where this was going. It was a good thing Manjoume had a girlfriend now. I mean, he hadn't stood a chance anyway.

"Yeah, yeah. Just get on with it. We've got bigger issues to attend to," Manjoume said.

"Like Judai's issues?" Akiko asked.

"Or Asuka's betrayal?" Jim added.

"Or the fact that Haruko is here stalking someone when we've already got enough to worry about?" Fuyuko tacked on. I guess he was basically saying that Manjoume's feelings were a minor detail with everything else going on.

While Fuyuko was talking, Manjoume glared toward the bedrooms. I can't say I blamed him. Haruko might not have been making any sexual advances, unlike Ai, but she was still almost as bad. I'd learned that on day one at Duel Academy's main campus. She saw Judai and me together and ran up, screaming about how "cute and strong" I was and how she could "tell with one look." Then she'd grabbed me by the arm and held on all day! When I finally lost her, some of the other guys on campus had told me horror stories about her and said I should start saying I had a boyfriend! Apparently being gay was the only way to get her to leave you alone. I asked about being bisexual, and they said that any man interested in women was in danger if Haruko liked him.

Besides that, Manjoume had Ai for a stalker for way longer than Judai, so having another one here after him had to be the worst.

"Don't remind me," he muttered. "Argh."

"Right," Fubuki said. "About that, Jim… Here's the facts. Okay, so we all know how Sissi and Judai felt about each other, right?"

I did! I'd heard and seen it. Judai talked about her endlessly, especially since the whole Dark World thing. He always said he'd love to be with her but added that she probably wasn't interested since she hated him. I just couldn't convince him otherwise, no matter what I told him. Every time I tried, Judai countered with Asuka's words about how he had "betrayed" her and "made her bear such sadness."

Incidentally, that was the sort of thing he did when I tried to convince him to talk to _anyone_ that was involved in that.

"Yes," Kenzan said.

"Yep," Jim echoed.

"Uh, if _I_ saw it, I'm thinking that should be a big, fat duh," Akiko said.

Well, that was good, at least. Looking around, I could tell that even those who hadn't spoken up saw it, so there were _some_ things these guys knew about Judai! Or maybe it was just so obvious that only a braindead monkey wouldn't see it.

"Yeah, Fubuki," I said. "Jim and I were barely even there, and even _we_ knew it!"

Manjoume got annoyed again. Apparently he was still jealous that he couldn't win Asuka from Judai. So even he'd known, huh? "So what? I've got Momoe now. Hmph!"

"Riiight…" Fubuki said. "Well, anyway, did you know it seems to have started in first year?"

Well, Judai had told me as much. He'd called it love at first sight (he'd also laughed and called himself corny for that) and said he'd tried for the first few months to win her over. According to him, though, all he ever managed was to make friends with her. You would think, though, after flirting with her, getting a picture of Fubuki for her without being asked _and_ saving her from the abandoned dorm, calling her a tough duelist because it was true and she was obviously proud—Johan! Knock it off! Stop thinking of Judai's rants about Asuka and focus! This wasn't the time for that!

"I had a feeling," Kenzan said, answering Fubuki's question.

"Yes. Judai said so," I said.

Kenzan looked at me with envy. "Wha? He did?"

Apparently I was the only one he'd ever told. Great, was that because of what Yubel had done?

"Haruko and I had a guess, yeah," Akiko said.

"No guessing to it," the Kaiser said. " _I_ knew it was there on day one. Right after that entrance exam."

Manjoume's eyes bugged out in horror. "W-w-w-what!? Day _one_!? But that's not—"

I couldn't blame him since that basically said he didn't even have a chance before those two met. But…Judai had said that he'd met the Kaiser later, after Asuka had mentioned him. Meaning he wasn't there when Judai and Asuka met, so what was he talking about?

"Wait a minute, Ryo!" Fubuki said. "How do you know that!? They hadn't met yet!"

Exactly, they—wait. Was he saying day one was _earlier_!? But, in that case, when did it happen, and why didn't Judai know it!?

"It's simple," the Kaiser answered. "Asuka was watching him duel Professor Cronos. And she liked the way he beat him. Easily and full of life. She started liking him about then."

Fubuki stared, stunned into silence. His eyes were the size of pinheads. "…She never told me that…"

Manjoume was gaping, his eyes wide.

The Kaiser shrugged, closing his eyes. "Well, she smiled at him and called him 'interesting,' so…"

…Wow. If Judai only knew. Asuka was interested before they even met in that arena! He hadn't messed up that day after all! Why, that laugh he'd mentioned was probably just because she thought he was being cute or something. He might have earned _more_ points that day! Wait until I told him that! Not that he'd believe me, but he still deserved to know.

Fubuki snapped back to his senses, clapping his hands together to draw us all back to attention. He must finally have been ready to tell his story. "Okay! Right! The facts are _clearly_ known! So, onto the part you all _didn't_ know! Asuka tried to confess once!"

Manjoume stood up, his eyes wide. Clearly he still didn't like that. Either he couldn't believe how hopeless it had been for him to chase Asuka, or he was just settling with Momoe. "She what!?"

"When?" Kenzan asked, standing up, too. Good thing he was fully treated because, if he'd undone all of Akiko's work, she'd have thrown a fit for sure! Only his face wasn't bandaged, so that would be a lot to redo.

Granted, I didn't know why she cared so much, given how she usually acted, but…

"Right after the Tag Duel Tournament. She said Judai taught her a lot that night. And she realized he hadn't changed that much. But he'd gotten wiser. Or, as Kenzan puts it, 'evolved.'"

Right, right, Asuka's betrayal. Man, I needed to focus! Sure, Kenzan was a mess, but he wasn't worried about it so why was I? Asuka was our number 1 problem right then.

"That didn't look like evolving to me…" Kenzan said, looking stunned.

Yeah, no kidding, Kenzan. I didn't think being depressed and lonely all the time was "evolving," either!

"Well, she thought it was and wanted to 'evolve' with him so she could keep up. That's why she chose to study abroad in America for those four years. It was a step up from where she was, so she could get better. Anyway, she was so grateful for this that she went out and thanked him for helping her…and was gonna confess her feelings but felt he wouldn't accept them after all that had happened and chickened out."

So she didn't say anything because _she_ was afraid of rejection!? What was _with_ those two!? Judai had told me the exact same thing! Well, with the modification that she'd shoot him down because she hated him, but still, it was close enough.

Manjoume clenched his fists, mumbling through gritted teeth, "I've got Momoe. I've got Momoe."

Akiko rolled her eyes at him.

Yeah, I figured he was obviously just settling. Poor Momoe. If only she knew. But, more importantly, there was one thing wrong with Asuka's silence…

"What, pray tell, would make her think that?" Fuyuko asked.

There we go. That was it. Judai was clearly interested, and Asuka wasn't as naïve as him, so why doubt his feelings for her? She _had_ to have known!

Fubuki shrugged, his eyes closed. "He changed. Who knew what he'd think of that? Might have messed up their friendship, even."

Okay, he sounded way too casual when he said that. Geez, did these people know Judai at all?

"T-true…" Kenzan admitted, looking down. "Aniki had changed some, at least…"

The Kaiser closed his eyes as if he was in mourning. Mourning! Manjoume turned away, doing the same thing.

Sheesh, people, what is your _deal_!? How can they call themselves his friends if none of them even bothered getting to know him!? _Everyone_ here should have known _why_ he had changed! For the love of all that is good, _I_ wasn't there when it all went to hell, and _I_ knew why!

Kenzan sat back down as the stupid moment of silence continued. What a naïve bunch of freaks they all were.

"Manjoume's an even lousier detective than he was first year. If he wasn't, he'd be able to figure out what the hell happened," Akiko muttered.

Hell yeah, he would have! Why were these "friends" of Judai's so insistent that he'd changed!? I knew the truth even back then, and I barely knew the guy! What did these guys do, mistake idolizing for friendship? That was stupid, too, since Manjoume and the Kaiser were his dueling _rivals_!

"But, anyway, when Sissi told me this, _that_ gave me the idea to help her out!" Fubuki said. "That was, after dealing with Darkness, of course."

"Of course!" Kenzan agreed.

The Kaiser sat forward in his chair, his eyes wide with horror. It was as if he'd just seen a ghost. "No…you didn't…"

"Fubuki, you idiot!" Manjoume yelled. "Your love plans never—"

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault the man ruined everything by not showing up!"

Oh, great, now he was blaming Judai for his crazy schemes failing! Like that was fair at all! I'd read Sho's whole dumb book series, and Fubuki's plan for _Manjoume_ to win her over was so bad it was destined to fail! Why, as far as I was concerned, any plan Fubuki Tenjoin came up with would fail by _his_ hand, not Judai's. When were these people gonna stop blaming him for their issues!?

Still, I stayed cool outside and decided to ask. I mean, I couldn't be sure Fubuki was a total idiot without knowing Judai's "mistake."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Are you talking about that stupid dress you made her wear at the graduation party?" Akiko asked. "The one that had every male in there going nuts?"

Fubuki's face lit up, and he gave her a thumbs up. Apparently Akiko was spot-on. "Correct! I told Sissi it would impress Judai so much, he'd be hers in an instant! She would have clubbed me with her textbook if I hadn't. She tried!"

At the end, he was still grinning, but it was more of a wary grin. Man, he was weird.

Ryo and Manjoume were staring, their eyes wide.

Akiko stared at him for a moment, a lame look on her face. Finally she said, "That explains it, then."

"Crikey, mate, you're devious!" Jim said.

Fubuki laughed. With pride. Everyone in the room was either disturbed by him or thought he was an idiot, and he was proud. See what I mean by he's weird?

The Kaiser slammed his eyes shut, smacking himself in the face. "Fubuki…you're impossible…"

Well, he was embarrassed.

But…that plan had only failed because Judai didn't go to the party. Now let's look at his _reason_ for not going! He thought he'd be unwanted. He didn't think anybody would miss him if he didn't go. And who's fault was _that_? Oh, yeah, _the people I was sitting there talking with_! So it was everyone else's fault, Fubuki's included, that plan had failed! They all needed to stop blaming Judai indiscriminately. They never even stopped to think that it might be their fault that he'd pulled away. After all, Fubuki, it was the "anguish of a friend's betrayal" that was tearing _your_ soul apart!

"Anyway, it didn't work because Judai didn't show," Fubuki said.

Yeah, thanks to you and the others, Mr. Anguish.

"Not long after that, Sissi left the party and never came back in!"

I nodded, remembering that. It wasn't a pleasant sight, either, because she was on the verge of tears when I found her. If I'd figured out what Judai's issue was by then, I would have told her right there. "I remember that. O'Brien and I met her outside, and we all had a talk about Judai. Agreeing he'd come back around again in the end."

Fubuki's eyes bugged out, and he had a mini fit. "Whaaaa!? She said that to you, too!?"

Too? But he wasn't in on that conversation! He'd been flirting with his fan club and saying goodbye to his friends.

"Wait. What do you mean, 'too?'"

Fubuki looked down again, getting all depressed. Or _anguished._ "After the party was over, I went and looked for Asuka…and found her staring out at the lake, saying something like that to herself…"

Well, that was surprising. When O'Brien and I had left that night, we'd figured Asuka had, too. But Fubuki was saying she _hadn't_? How messed up was she? And why did this whole group have to be a total mess, anyway? Everyone claimed they were fine, but they sure didn't act like it!

"Really? She was still there?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"That's…not good," Jim said.

"Ya think?" Akiko said.

"Oh, it gets worse, trust me!" Fubuki said.

Worse? Just what we needed. More messed up friends.

"First off, she looked like she'd been crying, and, when I went to confront her, she acted like nothing was wrong, put on a smile, and headed back inside to get her clothes!"

"That sounds like Asuka, alright," the Kaiser said. "Not one to show weakness ever."

Manjoume looked stunned, as if he'd just missed a golden opportunity. Not that it would have mattered if she was that upset, but he'd never admit that. "I never knew… Grr, I could've caught her on the rebound! _That_ way, I could have—"

Fubuki cut him off, looking at him in annoyance. "Yeah, about that, Manjoume, thanks," he said, sounding bitter.

 _Now_ what had Manjoume done?

He looked surprised at the glare he was getting, so naïveté was clearly something this group just struggled with. "Huh? What did _I_ do!?"

Fubuki stood up, glaring daggers at Manjoume. He looked about as annoyed as I was feeling. Granted, my annoyance was for Judai's sake, while Fubuki was probably upset because of Asuka. "Oh, it wasn't just you! Sho Marufuji got in on it, too! That's why Sissi hated men for a year, you idiot!"

Manjoume's eyes widened. He looked just plain confused. "What!?"

Good question. What did they do to make Asuka hate men?

"Care to translate that for those of us who are just meeting this group?" Fuyuko asked.

Fubuki clenched his fists and turned to Fuyuko, fuming. "Sure, why not!? About a year or so later, Asuka got the idea that Judai wasn't coming back! As did everyone else, _including_ Manjoume here and little, dependent Sho!" He turned back to Manjoume again and pointed a twitching finger at him.

The Kaiser sweat, closing his eyes. "Don't remind me. He kept swearing on his grave he'd haunt that man til his revenge was served or he'd club him with a harp when their spirits met in the afterlife."

He sounded totally disturbed, and I started feeling sympathy for him, too. I mean, not only was his best friend a nut, but his blood brother was almost worse! Sho had such an abandonment issue that he'd done some crazy things those first three years. He'd made an Elemental Hero deck that he hid in the drawer of his nightstand; cut ties with me, saying I was the "world's biggest jerky thief of everything that mattered in life," whatever the hell _that_ meant; and even started looking for a new "aniki" by holding auditions. These days, it seemed Kyle had taken that role, though he had yet to earn the title from either Sho or Kenzan. Though I only knew that much because, when Kyle showed up, Sho made up with me. What was that guy's deal, anyway? He held a grudge for five years, and I hadn't even done anything to him!

"Yeah," Kenzan said. "If anyone had a serious grudge against Aniki for leaving and never coming back, it was Sho."

The Kaiser and Kenzan both had lame looks on their faces. Apparently they'd had too much contact with the abandoned puppy known as Sho because they seemed just as sick of him as I was of Judai saying everyone hated him. I mean, come on! "Everything was fine as long as _you_ were okay, _Judai_! You're not my aniki!" Sheesh!

Akiko smacked herself in the face and muttered, "Idiot."

"Glad he got that out of his system," Kenzan said.

"Yes. Good thing Judai got into this mess, or who knows what Sho would have done," the Kaiser agreed.

Okay, yeah, Sho had issues. Why was he so dependent on Judai that he couldn't live without him? Was he in _love_ with him? But I thought he loved the Dark Magician Girl, according to that one book of his!

Manjoume stood there with his eyes wide in horror. "…Okay. Now I'm _really_ glad I cut ties with him for years. That guy's _way_ too nuts!"

Yeah, sure, look relieved to have ripped our group to even more shreds!

Fubuki sure didn't agree with him. He got up in Manjoume's face, glaring fiercely enough to make him cringe. "I'm glad _you're_ happy you did that, Jun! 'Cause _I_ sure wasn't!"

Fuyuko looked stunned. "…The more I ask for clarification, the foggier things get."

"Yeah, that's pretty much how it goes with this bunch, Fuyuko," Akiko said. "Don't worry about it too much."

Okay, she wasn't even in our group, and she knew that. How the hell did she know?

Fubuki turned his glare back to Fuyuko, much to Manjoume's relief. "Okay, well here's what's up, Fuyuko! See, at first, Asuka was blaming herself for not speaking up. Drowning in guilt 'cause of that."

Drowning in guilt? Did everyone in this group do that? The Kaiser hated his days as the Hell Kaiser, Fubuki was guilty over Fujiwara, Manjoume for turning Asuka into a member of the Society of Light, Sho for letting Yubel mess with Judai, Judai for _every little thing_ he ever did wrong… Talk about a serious need for therapy.

"But, about three months into the year, Manjoume and Sho started hitting on my sister so much you'd think _they_ were stalkers! And they both started doing it on the same day!"

So they both started stalking her on the same day? The idea that they were stalking her was news—the idea that they both started _hitting on_ her wasn't hard to grasp, even if the timing _was_ weird. I mean, Manjoume wasn't the stalking type. Sho, on the other hand…maybe.

Manjoume glared at Fubuki, defensive as he said, "Hey, I didn't do anything at _all_ as bad as Ai or Haruko! I just sent her flowers and a couple of poems! What's so bad about that?"

Well, that was a good question. That would normally be seen as romantic, but Asuka called it stalking? What was her deal back then?

The rage fest continued, with Fubuki glaring at Manjoume and saying, "Yeah. And Sho sent her chocolates and rare cards!" Fubuki poked Manjoume in the chest, adding, "And _you_ didn't approve, so you started fighting with him!"

Okay, so they were fighting over her. Still not stalking. She was supposed to be one of the more mature and intelligent members of our group, so why would Asuka say they were stalking her?

Fuyuko looked disturbed. "…Uh…"

As expected, Manjoume recovered quickly and raged, "Well, _excuse_ me! It's not _my_ fault that little shrimp was moving in on _my_ girl! Why, with Judai out of the way, I thought I could—"

"First off, she's not _your_ girl, and second, SHE THOUGHT YOU WERE PERVERTED JERKS, YOU DAMNED IDIOT! Couldn't you _see_ that!? You were—"

Okay, this needed a better explanation! Everyone was just getting more lost and confused. Besides, this argument was distracting us from the point again. Why was Asuka on the wrong side!?

I held up my hands, signaling for them to stop. "Whoa, wait. Back up. She thought they were _what_? What did _they_ do?"

Fubuki turned to me, sounding casual as he said, "Oh, just hit on her and lead her on when she thought they were just friends, that's all."

…What?

"But, wait. That doesn't make any sense!" Kenzan said. "Why would she—"

"Ah, pardon my asking," Fuyuko said, his tone giving me the feeling he didn't really _want_ to ask any more questions, "but how does hitting on her make them perverted…? What, pray tell, was perverted about it?"

Good questions. I mean, from what they were describing, it sounded like normal, everyday stuff to me. So what was wrong with it? Was she afraid of them or something? Why fear someone like Sho?

Fubuki raised a finger high in the air, getting worked up with some emotion or other. "Simple! They did the exact same thing men always do!" He started counting off on his fingers as he said, "Hit on her, lead her on, make her feel special just so they could break her heart in the end." He stopped, a nasty look appearing on his face as he slowly turned toward Manjoume. "Or get her in bed with them in the case of _some_."

"Hey, I never had any intentions of—"

"You thought she'd look sexy in that idol costume, Thunder! Don't think I didn't notice!"

Manjoume sweat and started fiddling with his thumbs. "Well, I, uh—heh."

Okay, so where was all of that coming from? Hit on, lead on, make her feel—How many bad boyfriends had she had? And what about Judai? He wasn't like that…unless the broken heart part was… Oh, no. Was this all because he'd left? Was he the last straw or something? Why was his luck so bad?

The Kaiser closed his eyes in shame and said, "Forgive me, Fubuki. I had no idea."

Fuyuko was just staring, stunned silent.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Akiko said.

"…This makes Natsuko seem normal…"

They were clearly lost. _And_ right. This group of mine was anything but normal! I mean, why was the Kaiser feeling guilty for Sho's behavior?

"What are you apologizing for, Ryo?" Fubuki asked. "It was Sho who—"

"Not just Sho, actually. I tried to get Asuka to like me back then as well."

Well, that was news. When did the Kaiser start liking her?

Fubuki and Manjoume both cried, "Whaaaaa!?"

"B-but, Ryo! W-w-when did you—"

"Uh, as interesting as all of this is, can we try and get back to the point?" Jim asked.

"If anyone remembers where it is?" Akiko added, looking irritable.

…Man, this group. When they got sidetracked, they took me with them! What _was_ the point?

"Oh! Uh, r-right," Fubuki said. "The point was Sissi was real upset with all the men she'd ever met, said all they cared about was sex with the hotties, deeming none of them trustworthy and decided to cut ties with all of her male friends."

Well, that explained her comment to me. But why was she so angry at all men? Didn't she know at least one decent guy? I thought _I_ was fairly decent! I mean, I'd never once acted like a pervert!

"So _that's_ why Asuka wouldn't speak to me for two years in a row!" Kenzan said.

Manjoume was standing there calmly now, his arms crossed. "Yeah. And I was so mad at Sho that _we_ didn't speak to each other for years, either! I wouldn't even go near him in a duel." Muttering, he added, "Paid my manager _extra_ to keep us out of the ring together, too."

Annoyed, the Kaiser said, "The feeling was mutual, Manjoume, trust me."

Yeah, no cooperation there, either. I'd occasionally tried to get Manjoume to ask Sho why he hated me so much only to get into a worse argument about that "good for nothing son of a bitch" than the arguments I ever had with Judai about "being a lousy friend."

"So Judai leaves, and you guys fall to pieces," Akiko said, her tone matter-of-fact.

"Sad what that says about our friendship, isn't it?" Jim asked.

Yeah, Jim. It was. Asuka stuck to all girls, Sho and Manjoume stopped talking, Sho hated me, Rei and O'Brien didn't even stick with the group at all…and I was sure that probably wasn't all, either. The glue that held this group together was Judai, clearly. Too bad he didn't know that and would never believe it.

"Exactly!" Fubuki said. "I still need to talk to him about that, too, by the way! Why, because of him, no one else—"

"The point," Fuyuko cut him off.

"Please?" I said. _Seriously, Tenjoin! Judai's got enough problems! Don't go piling this on him as well!_

I mean, sure, I could see what he was talking about, but I wasn't going to _scold_ Judai about it, unlike Fubuki! I was just going to waste my breath for the thousandth time to try to convince him that these guys needed him around. Granted, he was probably better off without them—they'd blamed him for everything but puberty by now. He didn't need blamed for _this_ , especially since it was their fault he left.

"Right. The point." He finally sat down again, saying, "So, anyway, after all _that_ was over, Asuka avoided men like the dickens for the rest of the year. But, after realizing that most of them weren't interested in messing with her, she came to the conclusion that it was only _friend_ men she couldn't trust. Don't ask me how three men out of a dozen gave her that idea, though. She made very little sense that year." He shrugged and shook his head, his eyes closed.

"Yeah, no kidding. I called to say hi and she told me she wasn't interested in perverts," I said. "I haven't spoken to her since."

Seriously, what was her issue with men?

Akiko burst out laughing at my little confession. Well, admittedly, it did seem comical now.

Shaking his head, Fuyuko said, "You people…have got some serious issues. Might I recommend seeking professional help?"

Good idea. I mean, we needed Judai to keep this group together.

"I _did_ …" Kenzan said, looking down in shame.

Come to think of it, Kenzan hadn't lost touch with anyone aside from Asuka, which was unavoidable for any of us. It seemed professional help might benefit all of us.

"Anyway, moving onto the _next_ year, thanks to Kenzan's persistence—and calling himself asexual around Sissi all the time—Asuka finally started putting blame where it _really_ belonged. On the men that broke her heart _only_."

So I guess Kenzan helped convince Asuka not to hate all men. I wouldn't know—I blocked her number after that one time.

But something Fubuki had said was bothering me. A _lot._

I stood up, not caring if this was sidetracking or not—it had to be addressed. "So, wait. Are you saying she went from blaming herself to blaming Judai? But that's not—"

"It's not really his fault she didn't say anything," Jim said.

Yeah, that's one thing! And, also, she had _finally_ accepted some blame herself, then pushed it off on Judai!? How was that fair!? He already blamed himself for everything _else_ they told him he'd done! Hell, he'd have been blaming himself for attacking me during that Darkness thing if I hadn't told him not to worry about it!

"But he can be blamed for leaving without a word," Akiko said. In a mutter, she added, "At least, until we figure out _why_ he'd do that."

Okay, this blaming Judai thing _had_ to stop! He wasn't responsible for his actions back then as far as I was concerned! He had thought they all hated him, and they _proved_ it to him all the rest of that year! _Never_ going to the Red Dorm, _moving_ back to their own dorms to "get away from _him_ ," _demanding_ favors of him just because he was "the only one they could trust," hanging out with each other _without_ inviting him… These guys had _caused_ him to leave! That was all stuff he'd told me they'd done after he'd come back! It wasn't his fault they were too dense to try _talking_ to him about what had happened when he just might be feeling like shit, now was it!?

Still, no point blowing up at Akiko. She wasn't one of us, so she was innocent, especially since all she was hearing was their side. Besides, she was willing to admit that blame might need reassigned. "Akiko, sometimes you just don't know anything," I said. "But I can't blame you because you're not in our group." I shook my head, shrugging and wondering why I cared if these guys were miserable.

"Anyway, moving on, we've reached my _favorite_ part of this tale!" Fubuki said. "Anyone else still remember Austin O'Brien?"

Of course. He also had issues. But his at least made some sense, given everyone else's problems. Besides, he was one of the few people I could talk about with Judai without him saying the guy hated him.

Aside from Judai and myself, I wasn't sure if O'Brien was in touch with anyone else. Most of us were too weird for his liking. Maybe he had the right idea, now that I thought about it. Why, if I didn't think it would make a bigger mess, I'd stop hanging out with them all, too!

"I do," Jim said. "We're still keeping in contact. If not for work, he'd be here, too, he said."

Good to know. I'd been wondering.

Kenzan's eyes bugged out, and he turned to Jim, looking either outraged or surprised. "You've got his number!? But that's no fair! I haven't seen him since graduation!"

Jim countered with, " _I_ didn't see him then, so…"

Manjoume humphed. " _No one_ has. He said this group's too stupid for _his_ liking and cut ties then. Something about being tired of working with a bunch of irresponsible _babies_. Heh. _I_ have to agree with him, really." He closed his eyes, grinning.

Apparently he'd forgotten his _five-year fight_ with Sho over a _girl_! Or was that somehow mature in his mind?

Kenzan beat me to the punch, pointing accusingly at him while glaring. "Hey, with what _you_ and Sho have been doing til _last_ winter, I'd think he was—"

"Oh, just shut up already!" Akiko cut him off. "Let's get back to this stupid story before you guys make all of us forget why the hell we're even listening to it!"

Oh, boy, she was getting irritated. Yeah, it was definitely time to focus. Nobody's dumb enough to mess around when _she's_ mad! Even some of the teachers at Duel Academy had been afraid of her!

Kenzan moved toward Jim, whispering a quick, desperate plea. "You've got to give me his number! We were way too close in high school!"

"Alright," Jim said. "Later, Dino-Boy."

Fubuki clapped his hands, smiling and sweating nervously. So there _was_ a brain in there! "Now, then! Back to my sister and her sudden betrayal, for those of us forgetting why I'm telling this tale!"

Well, I didn't know about everyone else, but I was sure having a hard time focusing thanks to all the side conversations.

"I'm not forgetting! _I'm_ just too busy being amazed at how messed up this group of ours is to focus!" I said, my eyes wide.

"Your group _is_ a mess," Fuyuko agreed, for which I glared at him in annoyance.

"Makes you appreciate what _you've_ got, huh?" Akiko asked, smirking.

Fuyuko closed his eyes and nodded, saying, "Tokugawas can't compare."

Jealous, I glared at him out of the corner of my eye. That wasn't fair! He had Natsuko and Haruko in his group! Yet _mine_ was such a huge mess that it made those two seem perfectly normal! Why had I made friends with all of these guys!? Just because I'd met Judai?

Fubuki pulled me from my thoughts when he said, "Judai and O'Brien showed up on the news one night at the beginning of last year, fighting bad guys in Iceland. And, as _some_ of you know, this did not bode well for those of us Sissi _did_ still talk to."

For some reason, his attention snapped toward the Kaiser. He sounded even more exhausted than I had ever been trying to talk to Judai about Sho and the others.

The Kaiser closed his eyes, sweating. "I never want to see them there again…"

So what had happened? Was it really that bad?

Looking jealous, Fubuki pointed fiercely at the Kaiser, saying, "Yeah, well, _you_ got lucky! _You_ only had to put up with her complaining!" He pointed at himself, looking totally freaked, and continued, " _I,_ on the other hand, had to listen to that _and_ got my head bit off for everything I said or did the whole year after!"

He threw his arms up in exasperation.

Okay, so he was _traumatized_. What on earth had she done _now_!?

"What are you talking about?" Kenzan asked. "Asuka wasn't—"

Fubuki got up in his face, making him cringe away. The Kaiser stayed where he was, but they both said, "Oh, yes, she was." Well, okay, Fubuki shouted it, but still.

"Okay, so Asuka was a nightmare for you two," Jim said. "And this is connected to the point you want to make, Fubuki?"

Frantically, he turned to Jim, saying, "Yes! She was complaining about _Judai endlessly_ day in and day out! And you know the _best_ part about it!? _I_ was her favorite victim!"

He got more worked up the more he said, and I couldn't blame him. Asuka was scary enough when she was mad, but it sounded like she was constantly _furious_.

"'I can't believe he's still seeing that _jerk_. I guess birds of a feather really _do_ stick together,'" the Kaiser quoted.

Fubuki threw his arms up in the air, shouting, "'He left us _all_ to go join some underground group of bounty hunters! Guess _that's_ why he wouldn't stick around! And _underhanded_ job like _that_ wasn't the kind of thing any _decent_ man would do, so he knew we'd all hate him for it!' 'The jerk! I can't believe he—'"

It might have sounded like quotes, but I still had to stop those two _right that moment._ I mean, if Judai ever got wind of those words leaving _anyone's_ mouth, he'd never believe me if I told him they didn't mean them. Besides, for all I knew, they _did_ mean it.

"That's enough!" I cut Fubuki off. "That's not true, and _you_ know it!"

"Well, that's what Asuka was thinking back then," the Kaiser said.

Fubuki threw his arms up again, shouting, "Yes! And even on her birthday I was a bad guy because I gave her a deck of rare cards—to try and get back on her good side, that is—and she bit my head off for that, too! I couldn't win no matter _what_ I did! It was a living nightmare!" He put his hands on his head and fell to his knees, where he stayed, whimpering.

"Fascinating," Akiko said dully. She looked bored. So crazy people wasn't entertaining?

I just sat there, my eyes wide. I was too horrified for words. I mean, Asuka had been raging for a whole year because Judai was seen with O'Brien?

I thought over everything I'd heard. Fubuki had said Asuka liked Judai but had never told him. Soon, she drowned in guilt over it because she never told him. Then she got angry at men because of it, changing it to anger at Judai later. So he broke her heart, and it just got worse and worse with time? Which meant she secretly hated Judai for hurting her. Asuka _hated_ Judai, just like he'd been thinking!

 _Judai's gonna hate this… Maybe I shouldn't tell him…_

"So…what you're saying is…" Jim started, looking horrified, too.

"Exactly! Because _Judai_ hadn't seen _anyone_ but _O'Brien_ in the last 5 years, I paid the price in _full_ for _his_ betrayal! I was the bad guy _on_ her side, _against_ her, _not giving a shit either way!_ I WAS THE BAD GUY FOR _BREATHING,_ FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

His gestures were all exaggerated right now, and his eyes were wide the whole time. Given how badly it had affected him, I wouldn't have been surprised to learn that Fubuki hated Judai, too.

"…Whoa," Kenzan said.

"Meaning she hates him," Akiko summarized. "I think that's what Jim was thinking of. I mean, your issues aren't _that_ important."

Fubuki approached her, glaring. "Akiko, be grateful that was the year Kyle transferred to Duel Academy Island from North Academy." He jabbed a finger in her chest like only a lunatic would with Akiko. Come to think of it, that's probably what saved him—she doesn't hit lunatics. " _That_ was the only thing that stopped her! _He_ liked her, so I helped him get her by telling him everything about her _and_ her torturous ex! Sure, it took him most of the year to do it, but it was worth it! I'm _so_ glad the seas of North were 'too bitter cold to dive in!' Otherwise who knows _what_ would have happened!"

"Hmph. I'll say," Manjoume agreed. "After Asuka hooked up with that man, he tracked me down and convinced me that blaming Sho for what _Judai_ had done was wrong. He also got me to admit to myself that Asuka wasn't ever going to like me, so I met up with Momoe, who _did_."

"Yeah, Kyle's a good guy," Kenzan said. "Why, he even managed to get _your_ sponsor's number so the rest of us could actually _reach_ you without going through your _fan mail_ process _first_."

Oh, don't remind me! Manjoume was seriously annoying to get in touch with! Why was it so hard for his friends to reach him? Didn't he _want_ to be friends with any of us anymore? I mean, our stuff got thrown in with his fan mail, which often never made it to him!

"That was a relief," Jim said. "I mean, it used to take five months just to invite you to a party! Why, you wouldn't even know what was going on yet if not for Kyle! It was such a grueling process that we probably wouldn't even have _tried_ to get in touch with you for this! I mean, some of us _wanted_ to stay in touch and stay friends, but you would rather pull away from _everyone._ "

Wow, Jim sounded _mad._ He was usually pretty easy-going. Maybe there was more to his anger than just Manjoume's communication issues. Maybe he was just as sick of the Judai blame game as I was! After all, Manjoume had no right, either! Why, from what I'd heard, he shouldn't even have been there since he thought "everyone was idiots for thinking Judai was their _friend_." So why the hell was he here!? Was he just here to blame Judai some more!?

I decided to kill two birds with one stone by complaining about how you often needed a lawyer if you wanted to see him while getting revenge on him for blaming Judai for everything that ever went wrong in his life.

I crossed my arms, looking annoyed, and said, "No, not everyone. All the _pros_ among us could reach him quickly!" I threw my arms up in annoyance and finished, "How _else_ would they ever get a chance to _duel_? _Right_ , Kaiser?" I whirled on him in annoyance.

Seriously, that was the only time they could talk to him about anything else: _during a match_! And, even though Kyle had come along and gotten the sponsor's number, it still wasn't any easier. We'd call him and get through a whole list of ID numbers to make sure we were really who we claimed to be, get redirected to one of 19 different numbers thanks to _Ed's training_ , write down any new numbers _those_ people gave us just in case, and keep trying nonstop if you _ever_ wanted to talk to him!

Needless to say, we only called him when it was an emergency. Most of us weren't close enough to him to justify it. And he thought _Judai_ was a bad friend. Ha! We were all _idiots_ for thinking of _him_ as a friend!

The Kaiser stayed calm and changed the subject, asking, "Is this necessary at the moment? We were talking about Asuka, remember?"

I turned away with a humph. Asuka… Yeah, sure, this talk was about her and her betrayal, but everyone was blaming Judai for it! It would be nice to stay on track _without_ the blame game, but only Jim and I seemed capable of it, so why not start blaming them for the things _they_ did wrong!? Somebody had to since _they_ would never accept responsibility for it!

"Right, _her_ ," Jim said, echoing my sentiments with his tone. Maybe it was somehow related to the fact that he hadn't been asked to contribute to Sho's books at all. But, hey, if the Kaiser liked Asuka—or just wanted this lengthy conversation over with already—who could blame him? It _was_ getting pretty late.

"And, speaking of, not long after that, Asuka calmed down, and the three became friends again. But what's that have to do with anything?"

Good question. We all knew about Kyle. Manjoume liked him for his wisdom and his dueling skills that rivaled Judai's; Sho loved his courage, kindness, strength, and confidence; Kenzan admired his strength, too (fortunately neither one had started calling him "aniki" yet); and even I liked the guy! Hell, he'd met everyone in our group aside from O'Brien and Judai, and there wasn't a single one of us who didn't like him. When he came along, he'd managed to put our shattered group back together, but he didn't have anything to do with why Asuka hated Judai. All he did was help heal her, so why bring him up?

Fubuki sat down, exhausted. "It doesn't. I'm just glad someone came along to replace Judai in everyone's lives. Asuka got a boyfriend, Sho got a new idol, and everyone got back to being friends again. But all was _not_ as good as it seemed."

Clearly. Also, I was never telling Judai that Fubuki had called Kyle his replacement.

"Yeah. Asuka still hated Aniki for betraying her, right?"

Oh, for crying out loud! They just didn't know when to quit, did they!? If anyone had betrayed anybody around here, _they_ had betrayed _him_!

"He never betrayed anyone!" Jim snapped.

Well, at least Jim got it! So Judai had one true friend here other than me…and the super-needy, childish Sho.

"You guys don't know anything, do you!?" I demanded. "Judai didn't—"

Fubuki calmly held up a hand, cutting me off. "Quiet. The audience is getting restless," he said, looking at Akiko and Fuyuko.

I would have snapped at him if he hadn't made sense. But someday I was gonna have a serious heart-to-heart with _all_ of them about Judai!

"I actually kind of want to hear what Johan was saying," Akiko said. "I mean, I get the point that Asuka, apparently, hates Judai."

"Which explains why she would betray him. But I still don't understand how any of this happened to begin with," Fuyuko added. "Weren't you all friends?"

I guess he wasn't a fan of Sho's books.

Fubuki reached over the side of his chair and picked up a book. When it got there I'll never know. "Here, Fuyuko. Read this. This book should explain everything you've missed." He dropped _The Terrors of Haou_ on his lap.

Fuyuko stared at it for a moment, then said, "Okay?"

I didn't like that book. It made Judai sound like a criminal without putting in what the others had said or what Haou had done to Judai! I hadn't been there, but I could tell you word for word what they said.

 ** _"_** _ **Judai, you damn idiot!" "You're not my aniki!" "It's painful." "To think I'll have to carry such a sadness." "I'll hate you until the day I die!" "I hurt everyone, and I couldn't—"**_

CUT IT OUT, ANDERSEN! This wasn't the time to be thinking of everything Judai ever said when you made him talk about that!

"And my question?" Akiko asked.

"I object!" Jim said, looking at the book. "I didn't get a chance to—"

"So, as I was saying, to conclude my story, Sissi hadn't truly let go of the past. Sure, she's with Kyle now, but, thanks to her abandonment at the hands of Judai, she can't fully trust him or love him. To this day, she's just waiting for Kyle to leave her the same way Judai did." Muttering, Fubuki added, "Which is a shame, too, because the man wrote the lyrics to an American song about not being afraid to fall in love to her when he began his pursuit of her." Louder, he went on, "It said right there in the song that not all men act the same way, so she shouldn't be afraid of being with them in a more romantic way, but—" He cut himself off with a shrug.

"Well. I'd say the reason for her betrayal is totally clear," the Kaiser said.

Yeah, I agreed to that! It was that stupid Yubel! She'd caused the biggest misunderstanding ever, messed up Judai, and torn the damn group apart! Most of our issues stemmed from Judai's "abandonment" of us, after all! Later, I was _demanding_ a chance to get vengeance on that thing, whether Judai liked it or not!

"Yeah, it's all Aniki's fault," Kenzan said.

I started trembling with anger. _Again!?_ Seriously, did these creeps have a Judai-blaming complex!? Surely at least _one_ of them knew who was really to blame!

Jim growled. He glared at Kenzan and said, "I'm with Autumn-Girl, actually. _You_ dingoes should take some blame on yourselves for a change."

Yep, Jim rocked! He was defending Judai yet again! No wonder I never had to talk to Judai about him. Why, for all I knew, Jim was one of those few people Judai was still in touch with! (The others were O'Brien, Ed, someone named Hayato, and me.)

Still, I thought the blame was Yubel's. Granted, the others could have checked up on him afterward, but Yubel had started it all by attacking Judai's friends for stupid reasons.

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault Aniki left without saying goodbye!"

Those guys… I was gonna—

Manjoume cut my thought off before I went off the deep end. "Okay. This story's depressing. I'm going to bed. Tell me what the plan is in the morning." He got up and headed out of bed.

Well, at least the Judai blame game would, hopefully, end now.

But how was I ever going to tell him about Asuka?

Fubuki got up, looking gloomy, and said, "Yeah, me, too. I can't handle any more tonight. Later." And he headed out, too.

The Kaiser looked around, then asked, "So, if everyone's in a bad mood now, why are we all still here?"

Jim got up and stormed out. Clearly a good idea. We all needed time to cool off. I took a quick breath, hiding it from the others so they wouldn't know how close I'd come to exploding. Knowing this group, it wouldn't help anyway. I needed to focus on a bigger problem: telling Judai that Asuka hated him…and why. Should be fun.

I flopped down on a couch and hung my head.

"Good question," Kenzan said, sounding upset. I knew that tone well—Judai used it any time I brought up those he'd "betrayed." Jim had better make up with him in the morning!

I sighed. "Here we go again."

Akiko stared after Jim for a bit, looking confused. "What the hell…" she said before heading after him.

"Yeah, night, Akiko," I called, gloomy. "See you tomorrow!"

As usual, instead of addressing a problem, everyone chose to avoid it.

"Well, I feel much more fortunate now, at least," Fuyuko said, getting to his feet.

Yeah, jerk, rub it in. Your group was totally normal.

"Bailing Natsu out of jail once a month seems mild in comparison to… _that_." He headed out, saying, "Good night."

Stop rubbing it in! It definitely couldn't compare, no matter _what_ it was!

"Yeah," I said. " _Good_ night." I sighed again. _Judai's not going to like this. How will I ever tell him?_

The Kaiser got up, as well. Somehow he'd stayed calm for the whole thing, which was something I admired about him. I had to learn his secret—this group _required_ it! "That's a good idea. Clearly everyone's worn out after a night like that. We should convene in the morning. Then we can focus our efforts on helping Judai first and then figure out what to do about Asuka and Ai."

Kenzan and I nodded in agreement. That was a good plan. No one would be blaming Judai (hopefully) if the purpose of a meeting was to _help_ him. Maybe we could actually start being reasonable human beings again. Not that it was likely with these guys, but it was worth a try.

Lesson #1: Never try talking about Judai when if anybody was in a bad mood. Thanks, Kaiser.

He headed to bed, saying, "Night."

"Night," I echoed.

Kenzan got up and headed out, too, saying, "See ya."

I, however, sat there a bit longer, thinking about all of that. In the end, I got up and pestered Fubuki a bit, trying to get every detail I could out of him. What I got was Asuka's various diaries, stolen for the sole purpose of being an annoying older brother, I guess.

Still, I read through them, skipping any unnecessary stuff, and got every detail from Asuka's point of view. The more I learned, the worse the story got. I wasn't finished with those things until nearly dawn. Not that it mattered—those books were depressing enough to keep me from sleeping, anyway.

* * *

Yeah, as I thought about last night, I knew without any doubt. Judai did _not_ need to hear all of that. It would kill him for sure.


	20. Johan's Stupidity

**Edit: POV shift happens earlier. (Midna Azusa puts this all together in actual story format for me, and she didn't catch my note on when the viewpoint changes).**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **J** **udai's POV**

Somehow, what Johan had said wasn't all that surprising. I mean, aside from one point.

"Th-that's… Never acknowledged her feelings…? I was flirting with her first year… She's the one who didn't…"

Johan crossed his arms, looking concerned. "Yeah, I know, but—"

He got cut off by that annoying red-head as she came over, saying, "Judai! Hey, are you okay?"

Johan's attention snapped back toward her, and I could tell he was glaring at her from how tense he was suddenly. Yubel disappeared, but I could feel that she was getting ready to attack Ai if she tried anything.

Johan narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Oh, crap." He stood up and stood over top of me, his arms spread. And I mean he was _literally_ standing over top of me (at least my legs since I was still on the ground). Clearly he didn't plan on letting Ai anywhere near me, either. "Hands off! Can't you see he's not in the mood!?"

True, but who was ever in the mood to see their stalker?

"Get lost already!" he snapped, waving an arm through the air as though swatting at a bug.

Ai stopped where she was and pouted. "Well, that's not very nice!"

Johan glanced over his shoulder at me. "It's okay, pal. I've got this."

Honestly, I didn't really care much about Ai right then. I was a little preoccupied with the fact that one of my closest friends from school hated me. Besides, Yubel and Johan could handle Ai.

Johan turned back to Ai, glaring again. "What do _you_ want, anyway?" he snapped. "Can't you see he's upset? Why can't you just leave him alone already!?"

"I want to know _why_ he's upset!" Ai said, and I could almost see her stamping her foot. "Sheesh!"

"Well, I don't think that's any of your business. Since you're not his friend, you don't need to know! Now get out of here! We're busy." He glanced back at me out of the corner of his eye.

"It's about Asuka, isn't it?" Ai asked. "She break his heart?"

I glanced at her, wondering why she always needed to know everything that was going on with me. How come it seemed my stalker knew me better than most of my friends?

Johan waved an arm through the air and said, "That's none of your—"

"Oh, Judai, I'm so sorry," Ai cut him off, moving forward a couple of steps.

Johan's glare intensified, and a low growl started in his throat. He braced himself, apparently ready to use force against her, if necessary.

"She has been pretty cruel to you lately, hasn't she? What with the things she's been saying…"

Yeah, says the girl who trapped me on a beach so she could force me to marry her.

"Hey! Are you listening!? I said get—"

Ai shoved him aside, knocking him to the ground. His eyes widened as she easily moved him, and he learned the hard way that she was tougher than she looked. I mean, she had the delicate lady look down perfect, what with her lacey white sundress and her sunhat over her red hair, but she wasn't to be taken lightly.

As Johan sat up and shook off the dirt, Ai knelt down beside me. "You wanna talk about it?" she asked, and she actually sounded gentle and concerned.

Johan glared at her, blushing some. I guess being knocked over by a girl in a pretty white dress embarrassed him. "H-hey! What was that for!?"

I just sat there for a second, quiet, before saying, "Johan?"

He blinked and looked at me. "Yeah?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"Can we go somewhere else?" I asked.

I didn't care if Ai was acting human for a change. She wasn't, and I wasn't interested in spending time with _any_ woman, anyway.

"Judai…" Ai whined.

Like I cared if she was upset?

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

After talking with Kyle about Judai, I had headed back to the resort to find him, but he wasn't there. So I went out looking for him, but I hadn't had any luck finding him. I did, however, find Johan on the beach. Since I couldn't find Judai, I headed over, deciding to ask him. Surely Sho had told them all the truth about why I'd said those things by now. He was so mad that there was no way he'd kept that a secret, so Johan wouldn't think I was a traitor.

"Hey, Johan? Have you seen—"

I cut myself off with a gasp, and my eyes widened at the sight before me. Judai was on the ground, looking like he'd been crying. He wasn't wearing shoes or a jacket. Ai was kneeling beside him, looking slightly upset. And Johan was standing just a foot away from them both, looking as though he was on guard.

What…on Earth…had Ai done _this time_!? I wanted so badly to ask, but Ai—the potential _rapist,_ the bitch—was there, so I had to put on my stupid little act, as much as it killed me to do that right then. Damn it, I needed to talk to Judai in a _friendly_ manner right then, for crying out loud!

It only took a split second for me to decide that acting as if I couldn't believe that Ai was that desperate and acting totally shocked could help. I mean, I couldn't very well be acting angry at Judai when I thought that my new "friend" had gone insane, now could I? Besides, this _was_ pretty shocking.

So, my eyes wide with horror (genuine or fake, I'll never know), I tried to keep my tone nothing more than unnerved as I asked, "Wha-what happened here? Ai? You didn't—"

I was pleased to note that I only sounded stunned; none of my horror had leaked out in my voice. I glanced at Ai out of the corner of my eye, focusing most of my attention on Judai. I wasn't sure what was going on here, but it was sure looking like rape.

If not for Judai's next move, I might have kept on thinking that.

Judai looked away, staring at the sand, as if he was hoping it would absorb him. What was that look for? He had told me that he was okay! Yet here he was, looking as if he wished he could disappear, and not because of fear. That was more of a self-loathing look, mixed with hurt and guilt. But what on earth had caused him to react like that? He was fine a few hours ago!

Or…had he been lying? B-but that would mean that—

Johan took a step forward, as if to say something. He was looking sympathetic and concerned.

Ai beat him to the punch, though. "Asuka, you've really gone and done it this time! Honestly, how can one girl be so cruel? At least I care about his feelings! _You_ don't even do _that_! And all because you've got the way wrong idea about what was going on back then!"

I started, my eyes widening even more. So he _had_ been lying when he said he was okay with how I was acting! But that _couldn't_ be true! Sure, Judai was known to hide how he was feeling, but he didn't flat-out _lie_ to a person's face! I mean, he'd even forgiven Yubel for all she had done, and she had never even bothered apologizing for it! If he said it was okay, then it was okay! Besides that, I _did_ care! Why else would I be looking for him!? It was Ai who clearly _didn't_ care!

"W-what!?" I stammered. "Ai, that's not—"

Johan tried again to speak, holding up a hand, but Ai beat him to it again, saying, "Judai loves you, you idiot! Sure, he ran away that day, but that was because he thought you and the others hated him! And what was he supposed to think after you said that he betrayed you!?"

There it was; everything Kyle had told me, summarized. And it was coming from Ai, who really shouldn't have known. This stalker needed dealt with _now_. She was way creepier than Rei and _way_ too close to Judai right now! There was no _way_ that he was in any shape to deal with her, given the state he was in!

"Wait, how do you know—"

Again Johan opened his mouth, holding up a finger and still looking sympathetic, but more uncomfortable now. He'd let his guard down, the idiot.

Again, before he could say anything, Ai's actions stopped him. This time, though, her action was grabbing Judai's arm. Johan stopped and stared, and I was glad to see that he wasn't happy about what she was doing. I mean, he shouldn't have been! Sure, Judai clearly wasn't happy with me, either, but that didn't mean he wanted to go with Ai! He hated her more than he did me! Hopefully.

"Come on, Judai!" Ai said. "Let's get you away from here!"

"Let go, Ai," Judai said.

"Hey! Hold up!" Johan said, moving as if to stop her. He lunged forward, glaring at her.

Gee, Andersen. Took you long enough! Judai couldn't handle Ai on his own right now, so why were you letting her do that in the first place?

"Come on!" Ai commanded, tugging Judai to his feet.

"Ai!" Judai protested.

Johan ran up and grabbed her around the neck. He had a look to kill. "I said hold up! You're not going anywhere, now let go of my friend!"

I started, my eyes wide again. Johan looked so serious, but he was making a serious mistake right now. Ai was a princess, for crying out loud! Attacking her was risky! I mean, sure, Manjoume got away with it all the time, but that had to be just dumb luck. And Johan wasn't usually this aggressive! Ai must have really struck a nerve this time. I mean, it made sense, given that she was trying to take advantage of the situation.

"Johan!?" I asked, shocked.

"Hey! You can't treat me this way!" Ai protested.

Johan tightened his grip a bit, glaring more fiercely. He was looking pretty commanding, but commanding a princess with death threats was the _stupidest_ thing he could possibly do! What the hell was he doing!? Pushing her away would have been good enough!

"No, it's _you_ who can't treat _him_ that way! I'll never let you take advantage of him like this! Now let him go or else!"

I sweat. "Uh, Johan?"

This wasn't good. If this kept going, Johan was going to get himself in serious trouble.

Ai let go of Judai, and she looked angry. Great, too late. Now he was in for it! Why didn't men ever listen? He hadn't even _looked_ at me when I'd tried to warn him about her!

Johan tossed Ai aside and went to cover Judai protectively, grabbing him in a protective bear hug. He looked like a father guarding his precious son, though, so don't go getting any funny ideas. Neither of them were gay, as far as I knew. Johan glared over his shoulder at Ai again. "Now get out," he snapped. "You've done enough, so leave us alone. Or the next time you try this, I won't be so nice! Understand?"

He sounded threatening and stern. _Threatening_. Yeah, someone was hurting Johan's kid. So when had he adopted Judai, and why adopt someone the same age as him?

Well, that awkwardness aside, Johan was still threatening a princess.

I put a hand to my head, sensing disaster. "He just—"

Johan's idiocy knew no bounds that day, did it?

Ai glared at Johan as Judai put a hand on his friend's shoulder, sort of hiding behind him. So now the "son" was clinging to his "daddy." Those boys had issues…in more ways than _one_.

"Fine! But this isn't over, Andersen!" Ai said before storming off.

Great. I was afraid of that. Ai was angry about being threatened, and Johan was now in serious trouble. Defending a friend or not, she was a _princess_. I had to warn him.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Johan didn't move a muscle until Ai was out of sight. He kept his eyes trained on her, like a hawk on its prey. Once she was gone, he relaxed and turned to me, pulling back but keeping hold of my arms. "You okay, pal?"

"Johan, do you know what you just did?" Asuka asked, sweating as she walked over.

It just figured she was completely ignoring me. I mean, she'd thought she was only _acting_ like she hated me before, but now she knew otherwise. Why keep pretending that we were friends now that she knew she hated me?

"No, what?" Johan asked, letting go of me and turning to Asuka, curious.

Asuka sweat. "You just threatened a princess," she said. "A real, live princess. Do you know what that means?"

His eyes widened. "Y-you're kidding, right!?"

She shook her head sadly. "Afraid not. Ai is the second-born child of the Misgarth Kingdom. Threatening her means certain doom for the idiot she tells on."

Johan sweat, looking nervous. "Oh, crap…"

Holy crap, seriously!? I was stunned, obviously. I mean, I'd met the first-born of Misgarth, and he was nothing like that woman. "Ojin's sister… That's a scary thought…" I gripped Johan's arm, worried about my friend now. Why did that crazy woman have to be related to the crown prince of Misgarth?

"I'll try talking to her about this. But, in the meantime, might be a good idea for you to disappear, if you know what I mean," Asuka told Johan.

His shoulders slumped, and he frowned. "Well, that sucks." He turned an apologetic look on me, saying, "Sorry, bro, but I've gotta go. I'll see you around sometime if I survive this and _you_ get out of _this_ mess, okay?"

Oh, great.

"Right. You do that," Asuka said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go find Ai. Later."

As Asuka left, Johan started off toward town.

Not wanting to be left on an island with a bunch of other people who might hate me as much as Asuka, I said, "She hasn't found the villa."

Johan stopped and looked back at me, still looking apologetic. "Sorry, pal. But it's just too risky. But, hey, we'll see each other again." He flashed a reassuring smile at me.

Honestly, I knew that he couldn't stay, but it didn't change how I felt. After finding out that Asuka secretly hated me, I couldn't help but wonder if any of the others felt the same way deep down. Johan was the only one I was sure didn't hate me; he didn't have any reason to, after all.

"…Yeah, okay," I said reluctantly.

Add that to the list of reasons I hated Ai: driving my best—and, possibly, only—friend into hiding.

Johan walked back over and patted my shoulder. "See ya," he said. "And don't worry. It'll be okay." With that, he ran off, still smiling.

Well, this day had sucked ass. I fell back to my knees, thinking about just how much it had sucked. I'd gotten sick from being stupid, had Ai come after me _again_ , found out Asuka actually did hate me, wound up stuck on the beach in my bare feet, and had my best friend driven away at the risk of execution. Great, now all I needed was for someone to come over and kick me in the nuts, and my day would be complete.

Yubel reappeared—so where was she when Ai was trying to drag me off?—and put her hands on my shoulders, kneeling down beside me. _"Hey, it's okay. At least he'll be safe from Ai's wrath that way, right?"_

She was sounding gentle and caring, even though I knew she hated Johan with a passion. She must have been acting this way for my sake, which was rare. I guess she was really worried.

"…Yeah…hopefully…" I said quietly.

She stood up, putting her hands on her hips and sounding like her usual self again as she said, _"Come on. Let's go see if that idiot Natsuko's married yet. What do you say?"_

I didn't really feel like it, but I knew I couldn't just hang around there all day. I'd already made that stupid mistake once, after all. Besides, moping wasn't going to change anything.

"…Okay…" I said, getting to my feet. If there was one thing I had learned by this point, it was that life wasn't going to stop just because _my_ world was falling apart.

Yubel smiled. _"There we go. Come on. Let's go find that wedding."_

"Okay…"

So we headed off to try to find Akiko's crazy older brother. Obviously Yubel was hoping that weirdo would get my mind off my issues. Honestly, I was kind of hoping for that, too.


	21. The Inappropriate Ending to a Long Day

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

After my little incident with Judai and Johan on the beach, I headed back to my room to plot my next move for getting Judai to be mine. No sooner had I started, however, than there was a knock on my door. When I opened it, Asuka was standing there, looking worried.

Without giving me a chance to say anything, she started pleading Andersen's case, as if I was really planning on turning him in.

"I'm telling you, Ai. He's just worried about his friend!" she said. "You have _no_ idea how close those two are! Why, they'd _both_ give their lives if it meant saving the other! And besides…" She looked away, her hands behind her back, obviously feeling sympathy for Johan Andersen. "He didn't know you were a…well…" She rocked on her feet a bit.

I knew what she was talking about, obviously, and I had known that they didn't know I was a princess. That was sort of the whole point of keeping it secret.

"Asuka, don't worry. I want Judai to _like_ me! I'm not about to go getting his best friend in _that_ much trouble," I assured her. I mean, the worst I would be doing to the fool would be having my guards get him out of the way for a short while. "Why, Judai would hate me for life if that happened."

"True…" she said, sounding calmer now. "Well, then, you better tell Johan that. He just decided to leave the island and go into hiding somewhere so he wouldn't get caught."

Oh, for goodness' sake! Had he really taken me seriously? That would be a first.

" _You_ tell him! How am I supposed to know where he is? Or how to get in touch with him?"

Asuka's attention turned back to me, her eyes wide in frustration and anxiety. "And you think I can!? What part of 'gone into hiding' do you not understand!? Why would he answer his phone at a time like this!?"

Okay, a decent point. Meaning that Judai would probably never hear from Johan again if we didn't stop him now. I may not have cared about Johan, but I _did_ care about Judai, and losing his best friend was the last thing he needed in his life. He would never forgive me if I caused that!

"So maybe we should go find him?" I asked. "I'll be sure to wave a white flag so he knows I'm not dangerous."

"Good idea! Let's hurry before it's too late!"

I rushed into my room and made a makeshift flag out of a curtain rod and a white shirt then rushed off to find that fool Andersen. Asuka took off as soon as she had finished speaking, so she was gone before me.

Really, though, why did Judai and his friends have to be so frustrating? None of this would have been happening if they had only minded their own business!

* * *

 **Johan's POV**

I was all set to leave. I had my luggage, and a really stupid-looking disguise.

Just picture this: me, wearing a black ball cap with the words "Beach Buddy" written on it, sunglasses shaped like sombreros (for whatever stupid reason, the only kind in stock at the resort's gift shop) Haruko's favorite _furry_ scarf that was out of fashion now (must have been why she was so willing to part with it), and a brown trench coat Fuyuko had lent me when he heard the news. Don't ask me why Fuyuko had brought a leather trench coat to a Mexican beach in the middle of the summer because I have _no_ idea. But, anyway, if my disguise wasn't the most bizarre thing in the whole airport that day, I'll eat that scarf.

As I entered the airport, I spotted Jim standing there in the gatehouse waiting for the 5:00 flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. But it was almost 6, so why was he still here? Was the flight delayed or something? Anyway, I figured that, since he was still there, I might as well get a ticket for that flight myself.

After buying my ticket, I headed over to join Jim, thinking that Utah was as good a place as any to go into hiding. I'd be fine with staying there for a bit. No biggie!

"Ahem," I said to Jim. "Mind if I join you?"

He turned his one eye to me, looking a bit confused. "Sure."

"Great. Thanks."

Of course he was confused. I was dressed like a freak and going to Utah instead of staying here! What was so strange about that? I mean, it wasn't like my _best friend_ was trapped here all alone, suffering at Ai's hands! Leaving and not coming back was _totally_ fine! Right!? I seriously had to find a way out of this mess I was in—I couldn't just leave Judai here, especially since I was probably the only one here who really understood him! Now the only question was how I'd get back here without getting arrested.

While I was trying to think of some sort of plan, an announcement came on. "Attention. We apologize for the delay. Flight 284 for Salt Lake City, Utah, is ready to board now and will be taking off in less than 10 minutes. Thank you for your patience. Now please make your way to the gate. That is all."

"That's us, pal," I said to Jim, starting off. "You coming?"

I still didn't have any clue how to come back without risking Ai finding out. Hiding at the Tenjoins' wouldn't work because her royal guard could drag me out of there if they found out. Besides, Judai couldn't even get there now, so what would be the point of risking it? This mess was just getting more and more out of control…

Jim looked at me for a second before asking, "Why are you coming?"

Great. He had recognized me. And I was dressed like a freak in a weird hat, lame sunglasses, a _girls'_ scarf, and a trench coat. Terrific. Yeah, I was definitely getting a better disguise in Utah. Preferably something not so mix-matched. This was embarrassing! Why did Jim have to recognize me!? He probably thought I'd lost my mind!

I lowered my sunglasses a bit, giving him a serious look, and answered, "It's a long story. And I'll tell ya on the way back, okay?" I replaced my sunglasses as I added, "That is, assuming I can find a way back after this one."

A disguise wouldn't work unless I pretended to be a friend. But it was too risky to mimic any of the ones that were already here because then they'd be in two places at once, and the only three that weren't here were Ed, Hayato, and O'Brien. I'd met Hayato recently—he was one of the few people Judai was in touch with—and I wasn't big enough to play him. I wasn't buff enough to imitate O'Brien. And Ed was a famous pro duelist who might show up on live TV while I was there. Boy, wouldn't _that_ be fun to explain! Meanwhile a complete stranger wouldn't know Judai or his big secret, so that wouldn't work, either! There had to be _something_ I could do! Think, Johan! Use your head!

As Jim and I walked through the gate, I was still puzzling over my frustrating dilemma.

* * *

 ***The editor wishes to inform you that, for this section, the story will be told in third person simply because neither Johan nor Ai captured the entirety of the scene.**

As Flight 284 closed its gates, Princess Ai walked through the airport, waving a white flag and calling out, "Johan Andersen, I'm not going to do anything that would make Judai hate me forever! If you're in here, you can come out! I want him to _love_ me, not hate me!"

Her words, however, went unheard, as Johan Andersen was already aboard the plane with Jim. The plane took off as Ai left the airport.

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

Ai and I spent the rest of the day looking for Johan. Our paths crossed several different times, as if looking in the _same_ places at the _same_ time was really going to help. Was Ai really that stupid? Regardless, our search was fruitless, and it took us _hours_ to complete. The island wasn't that big, sure, but there were plenty of places to look for people, and we had to be thorough just in case Johan was still hiding out. He was sneaky and clever, after all, so leaving without a good plan didn't strike me as something he would do.

Around midnight, we regrouped in front of the resort's entrance. I was exhausted from literally running all around the island. Apparently Ai had driven, though, because she was done around the same time as me. When I arrived at the resort, I saw her getting out of a car. Why hadn't I asked her for a ride? I had been in _way_ too much of a hurry when I left. When I reached the entrance to the resort, I fell to my knees, trying to catch my breath.

I really hoped Johan had been found and was with Judai. My bed was calling my name!

"Well? Did…did you…f…find him…?" I panted.

Sleep was overpowering me. But Ai's answer made me fight it off.

"No," she said. "He probably already left. Honestly, I haven't told Judai even because I don't usually play that card, Asuka! Why did you have to go and tell them? Do you really hate Judai that much? Johan was trying to take care of Judai, you know. Now he's been left alone in that state!"

I rubbed my legs, trying to get some life back in them, and pushed my fatigue away for now. There wasn't time to rest, if that was the case. But it wasn't like it was all my fault! Ai had threatened Johan, so what was I supposed to think!?

"Hey, I _wouldn't_ have told them anything if you hadn't said that you weren't done with him yet. So you're to blame just as much as me!" I pointed an accusing finger at her, glaring, then went back to rubbing my sore legs.

They felt like they were on fire, but I still had one more thing to do. If it wasn't too late, that is. Hopefully Judai was still alive. I'd never forgive myself if anything had happened to him! It was my cruel acting that would have—I had to find him! I just _had_ to!

Ai sighed and said, "I meant I wasn't done with Judai yet!"

I glared at her again. Was there a _single_ brain cell in that woman's head today? She had said it was _Andersen_ she wasn't done with! How does that translate to Judai?

"Then why'd you say Andersen!? _That_ sounded bad for _him_ , you know."

She sighed again. "Yeah, well, I figured he'd be in the way, but…I guess I _am_ done with him!" Without another word, she ran off, presumably to find Judai.

I stared after her for a second, my mind barely registering her absence. Johan would be in the way? Well, of course. She was hurting Judai, but—

That was when I realized she had just taken off.

"Oh, great. Judai!"

I jumped up and ran off to find him. I couldn't believe I had missed Ai leaving! Was I really so tired that I couldn't think straight!? Why did those two have to do this right now? I was way too tired to be running around looking for them!

* * *

Okay, I admit it. I was _way_ too tired for this! Running around combing the beach for Judai wasn't any better than combing the island for Johan at this point! I could barely breathe and was sweating buckets from exhaustion, but I had to find him. He was in a lot of danger, either from Ai or from himself! Why, if he hadn't killed himself by now, he might have been trying! I _couldn't_ let him do that!

That was when I saw him climbing around on the cliffs at the far end of the beach. Was he looking for a cave he could hole up in? Or was he preparing to jump and end it all now?

It's amazing how your mind can make everything seem so sinister when you're worried about someone.

I didn't see any sense in risking it, so I ran up to him as fast as my legs could carry me. One thing was certain: I was going to be sore in the morning.

"Judai! Wait!" I called, worried. Jumping would be the _biggest_ mistake that man had ever made, especially since the rocky relationships he'd had with most of our group hadn't been his fault at all!

He started, then turned slowly to face me. "A-Asuka…"

That look wasn't reassuring. He seemed nervous and extremely uncomfortable. It was clear he was upset about something! So _was_ he going to jump? Was he worried I'd stop him or something? Then again, Ai had accused _me_ of cruelty to Judai, so what was going on here?

I stopped and stood where I was for a second, several feet away from him. Keeping my tone neutral, I said, "Hey. What's up?"

No need to get all worked up yet. Judai was anxious enough for the both of us, even if he was making me real nervous right then. That look might have been more than a man preparing to end his life, after all. Ai said it was aimed only at _me._

Slowly, I approached, covering up my nerves as I climbed some stupid rocks in my way. So what if my legs were burning? Facing up to Judai was way more difficult than climbing a mountain would have been at that point.

He still looked insanely uncomfortable and nervous, but it died down some, as if he was trying to hide it like everything else. But why? "…Not much. So where's Kyle?"

Just like that, the Judai I had only ever known since third year was back again. All bottled up inside and showing no signs of life. At that moment, we were twins in that regard. But why had he mentioned Kyle? He didn't have anything to do with why Judai was upset. It wasn't like he was the kind to go around hurting people. Why, when I told him about Sho and Manjoume's dumb feud, he tried to get me to see what _they_ had felt, and it turned out to be spot-on, too! He wasn't built to hate anyone, not even someone like Ai!

I raised an eyebrow at him, totally confused. "Kyle? Now why would you think he'd be here? He doesn't know you're upset. Heck, he doesn't even know you, for that matter, so…"

Judai shrugged, still looking exactly like he always did in third year. I hated seeing him act like that. Hopefully what Ai knew was _why_. _That_ I could fix with the truth. An unknown cause he would never reveal to the world was another story.

"Just don't get why you're tracking down someone you hate, I guess…" he said.

I blinked, my eyes widening some. Hate? That sounded _exactly_ like what Kyle had said. He felt that we hated him after saying such horrid things. Had I _really_ said things so awful? All I could remember from back then was a ridiculous, uncontrollable amount of sadness! What had happened back there?

"What?" I asked.

"I overheard you talking to him earlier," he said, looking away.

I sweat. He _heard_ that conversation? And _that_ was why he was so upset? How much of that mess had he listened in on? And _why_ was he always doing that!?

"Oh, you did, did you?" _Oh, shit._ My nerves were going to be fried at the rate this was going."And what, exactly, did you hear us say?"

This was _real_ bad. I mean, over half of that conversation had been me _venting_ about hating Judai! And Judai—the man possibly scarred by lost friendships, the easily shattered one of our group—had _heard_ it! This was worse than anything Ai could have done, and that was saying something!

"You hate me for leaving that day. Without saying goodbye. You think I'm a complete jerk."

Oh, shit. Those eyes, almost hidden from my view, were filling up with pain. And he had quoted me there at the end! As if I didn't already know that he had heard us, I'd just gotten proof! This was worse than I thought! Hearing that would upset anyone! But clearly this feeling wasn't new to him, or he wouldn't be acting like this about it!

I sweat again. That was probably all he had heard, from the looks of him. But I wanted to make sure. After all, if he had heard the beginning of it, he might even think that _Kyle_ was against him as well. The guy had sounded like he was taking my side and trying to show me how that "jerk" I called a friend had _really_ made me feel. But Kyle wasn't taking sides, or he wouldn't have said what he did at the end. Judai had to know the truth, or he might start hating Kyle for nothing!

"Is…that all?" I asked, sweating badly. Please don't hate Kyle, Judai, he hadn't done anything wrong!

"There was more?" Judai asked, and his tone sounded to me like he _was_ considering jumping off the cliff now.

He looked it, too. He looked so upset that I was surprised he was still standing there. What did he think, that we had kept bashing him after he had left? He sounded like he was thinking his life was the most loathsome thing he had! He was going to jump, I was sure of it! I had to stop him, _fast_!

I waved my arms around frantically, speaking a mile a minute. "No, no! Nothing like that, honest!"

This was nerve-wracking. Why the hell had I said that!? Was I _trying_ to kill Judai with my words!? I desperately tried to drive those thoughts I feared he was having away. He had better believe me! Jumping was the absolute worst way to handle things! And if he did it because of me, I would never forgive myself!

He didn't jump; he looked at me, waiting. He still looked upset, but some of it seemed to have been replaced with curiosity.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself and prepare for a long talk about friendship. Thanks to that, my whole body felt like lead. After all that exercise, the adrenaline and frantic movements and worry wasn't helping me relax. But at least Judai was willing to listen to me now. Maybe we could talk about this _calmly_ from here on out. Was this evening ever going to end?

"Okay. So you heard the part about me hating you, but _clearly_ you left way too early to hear the rest of it. To hear what Kyle told me…" I looked away, feeling ashamed. At the time I'd heard it, I had just felt stupid, but now I was feeling even worse because Judai had heard the first part of it. All of that, possibly mixed in with what Kyle had told me, had been stewing _all day long_. How would he handle it? _Could_ he handle it? Would he jump anyway? Or would he hate me, like Sho? Either way, I would be losing a friend if Judai was at all like the rest of us. How could I let this happen?

"…What Kyle told you…?" he prompted, looking confused, curious, and a little anxious.

I sighed. That look said it all. Judai was going to hate this conversation. We may even end up fighting when he got angry at me for bringing it up or for hating him for unfair reasons. Sure, Judai was usually a lot nicer than that, forgiving his enemies for trying to kill him, but severe scarring could really do a number on someone. From what I'd seen so far, Judai Yuki was no exception. It was time to have a talk that would end this friendship once and for all. Still, he needed to hear the truth so that he knew it was my fault, not his. I walked over and sat down, my eyes closed and my head lowered.

He didn't sit down with me, only coughing a bit.

"Yeah," I answered. "He said he'd talked to Ai and got her to confess to a bunch of other stuff she shouldn't have known about us. Like how Johan was kidnapped and _exactly_ what went down in that other dimension…"

I looked up at him, upset. It was time for the big question—the one that would prove how badly I had messed up. If his answer was yes, then Ai had finally found the one thing none of Judai's friends had been able to dig up, the reason why he had abandoned all of his close friendships and left for good. Of course, if it was true, he'd have every right to hate us for hurting him so.

"Judai, are you _really_ still upset about that? Whatever for?"

This answer would determine everything—if I should tell the others, if Judai's reasons were really as "hidden" as we all thought. This was huge, and, from the look on Judai's face after I asked, _true_. The answer we had all been looking for might have been in my hands at last, after six long years. This was so nerve-wracking I could barely breathe. We had all wanted this answer for so long.

But, suddenly, I wasn't sure I could handle it.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Dark World. It had been six years since anybody had mentioned that awful place. Now, all of a sudden, Asuka was asking about my feelings about it? This was the last thing I had been expecting. And it wasn't exactly a conversation I was looking forward to. I mean, why would I want to talk about that place? It still gave me nightmares, and I hadn't seen it in 6 years!

"…Well, you guys said…"

Asuka looked at me, looking upset herself and downright serious. "Judai, listen. To tell you the truth, I don't know _why_ we said the things we said. Sure, I was worried about following you in that state, but that was because I didn't want to lose you. Or _any_ of our friends, for that matter. The stuff about being betrayed by you… Well…" She looked away, still looking upset. After a moment, she seemed to shake it off and continued, "Look. I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what came over me back there. It's like I was possessed by the god of sadness and he wanted me to take it out on you, for some reason. I can't explain it, but…"

I stared at her for a second, taken aback. Once again, this wasn't what I had expected. "So…you didn't mean it?"

Asuka shook her head, her eyes closed sadly. "No, Judai. I didn't mean any of it. And I'm guessing, from how the others were feeling afterwards, that they didn't mean any of it, either. Something really strange happened to us all back there, and we all just figured it was better to just forgive and try to forget. That's why we were able to return to our normal lives." She opened her eyes, a look of guilt and sadness on her face. "Even though you clearly didn't…"

I looked down at the ground, trying to hide my pain. Hey, what could I say? She was right, but I wasn't about to say that. I mean, I wouldn't even be admitting to it if she hadn't asked. It wasn't my style to go around bringing people down with my feelings all the time. If she hadn't found me in that state, I probably wouldn't have admitted to it that night, either. As it was, there just wasn't anything else I could have done. She'd have definitely caught my lies that night, no doubt.

Asuka looked down, too. Her tone gentle and her voice filled with guilt, she said, "I guess we just figured you'd brush it off, like always." She shook her head, sounding pained as she said, "I had no idea it had impacted you _this_ badly." She looked back at me as she added, "And you've been carrying those feelings around with you everywhere ever since, haven't you?"

Carrying it around ever since, huh? Sounded about right.

"…Yeah…" I said, falling hard to the ground as I finally sat down. I kept my head lowered to hide my emotions.

"I'm sorry, Judai. I didn't know. I guess that explains why you just disappeared and never came back. You weren't planning on seeing us again, were you? That way, you'd never have to face us again. And relive those sad memories of yours…"

She sounded distant there at the end, like she was imagining what that would feel like. Good luck with that, Asuka—it was something you had to actually _feel_ to fully appreciate. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her staring out to sea.

I teared up, hoping that keeping my head lowered would hide that. "I thought you guys hated me…after what happened…"

Asuka pulled me into a hug. Gently, she said, "It's okay, Judai. We never hated you. Sure, it was hard to understand you after all that, but we never hated you. That's why we came to help you, Judai. Because you're our friend, and we love you."

I hugged her back, holding on tight. "G-good to know…"

There are no words to describe how glad I was that she had said that. After all, it meant that what I'd been thinking all this time was wrong. They didn't hate me—it was all just a big misunderstanding. It definitely was with Sho and Asuka, at least, so I figured it was pretty safe to assume that was the case with everyone else, too. Asuka was right, they wouldn't have come to help if they hated me.

And, no, I didn't start doubting the few who didn't show. I knew Hayato, Ed, and O'Brien didn't hate me. They were just busy.

Asuka stroked me gently, trying to soothe. Grateful for the comfort, I didn't protest at all, even if I was acting totally pathetic about everything right then. I'd had a pretty lousy day, and I was finally in Asuka's arms, even if she _did_ have a lousy boyfriend. Who _would_ protest the attention of the girl of his dreams?

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

Judai and I stayed like that for at least half an hour. Finally, though, I decided it was time for bed. It was past midnight, I was beyond exhaustion now that the day's adrenaline was wearing off, my legs were aching something fierce, and, to top it all off, it was chilly outside and Judai already had a cold. He had sneezed at least a dozen times since I'd found him! I needed to get him somewhere safe and warm for the night so he could rest. Somewhere Ai would never suspect…

Letting go of him, I stood up and held out a hand for him, still being gentle. No need to upset him more by being bossy about where he was going to sleep tonight. He was more likely to go with me on his own if I was kind than if I was commanding. I just hoped he wouldn't answer with, "No, thanks. I'm fine." If he did, I _was_ going to get nasty to get him to come. His selflessness could drive the most patient of people crazy sometimes.

"Come on," I said. "Let's find you someplace warm to spend the night."

With a sniffle that could have come from crying or from his cold, he said, "Okay."

Oh, good, he was in a cooperative mood! Now I wouldn't have to worry about upsetting him _again_ by being "mean," as everyone called it. As long as Ai didn't see us, this should be a walk in the park! After all, the best place to hide him would be in plain sight: in my room at the resort. Ai would never think of looking there because she thought I hated Judai. And, with Judai cooperating, I knew he'd follow me there without complaint! Good thing, too, because I was _way_ too tired to fight him over this. I couldn't wait to get back to my room and sleep!

He took my hand, and I helped him up before helping him toward the resort, stumbling several times along the way from exhaustion. In typical Judai fashion, he kept trying to pick me up and carry me out of concern. But I was more worried about _him_ than myself. I kept telling him I was fine, but he was so stubborn that he didn't quit until I told him that he was making it worse and to just let me do this my way! I mean, really, he didn't even know where I was going, so why should he carry me there?

In the end, I helped _Judai_ back to the resort and right up to the door of my room. After all, a sick man shouldn't be straining himself by carrying a sore woman, no matter _how_ tired said woman was! _Why_ had we all called him selfish that time? He was the polar opposite of that!

* * *

 ***The editor wishes to inform you that this section will be written in a third-person point of view, giving you a glimpse of what both Judai and Asuka had to say about the events of that night.**

Asuka sneaked Judai into her room and locked the door behind them. She helped him over to her bed and sat him down on it. Junko was asleep, wearing ear plugs as they were no longer concerned about Ai.

"Okay, get in," she said sternly.

Her attitude was partly because she was tired of him insisting on carrying her instead of her helping him. After all, she had volunteered to help him, so she felt he should have just gone with it. Judai, for his part, felt that he had been enough of a burden that day by forcing her to have to go looking for him like that, so he should have done something for her instead of letting her do everything. But he didn't say anything.

Releasing Judai's weight caused her to lose her balance for a second, but she recovered just as quickly, hoping Judai didn't notice.

"But where are you gonna sleep?" Judai quietly asked Asuka.

She glared at him, looking both stern and exhausted. She was trying so hard to hide the latter that it barely showed. "Don't worry about that, just get in. You're sick, aren't you?"

"I'm not _that_ sick…" he protested, but he coughed rather fiercely then, proving her point.

Asuka gave a sarcastic grin, knowing she had won. "Uh-huh. Sure, you're not. Lay down, mister," she said, pushing him down. She shook a bit, trying to keep her balance as she pushed the stubborn man into bed.

Taking note of this, Judai decided that fighting with a stubborn him wasn't any good for her right then, so he decided to cooperate and lay down willingly, shifting the covers so he could get under them as he did. "Okay, okay…"

Asuka pulled back then and opened the dresser drawer. "Good. Now don't look, okay?" she said, pulling out a blue night shirt and matching shorts.

With Judai not being the peeping type (and she would do well to remember that certain _other_ male friends of hers didn't peep, either!), she knew she could trust him.

Judai closed his eyes, saying, "Right, got it."

Quickly Asuka changed into her night clothes and crawled into her bed beside Judai. Feeling something warm beside him all of a sudden, Judai peeked to see what it was (he hadn't opened his eyes yet, having not been given the all clear). When he saw Asuka lying beside him, and not even on top of the covers, to make it worse, he didn't know what to make of it.

"A-Asuka…?"

Something about his tone must have gotten Asuka defensive because she gave him a stern look and said, "Now, don't get the wrong idea or anything. I am _not_ doing that. I have a boyfriend, you know."

But just having him there was good enough to make her happy. Forget all the mushy stuff, she told your beloved editor, his warm body right beside her, that cute nervous and confused look in his eyes… It was already too much for her to handle. She draped an arm over him, pulling him close and intensifying her feelings at that moment.

She wanted so badly to wrap him in her warm embrace, feel his skin next to hers instead of his clothes, taste the sheer beauty of his kiss. But she fought all of these unusual and crazy thoughts down and pretended that she was only holding him so that he wouldn't knock her out of bed with his rolling (which, admittedly, your editor can attest to being very severe). After all, his friends knew that he was a very reckless sleeper (he woke up half out of bed a lot of the time in school), so it was definitely a good excuse (as previously mentioned, the editor agrees).

For his part, Judai just blushed, wishing she _didn't_ have a boyfriend. He had, after all, harbored very strong feelings for Asuka Tenjoin ever since his first year of high school, and he had fantasized about the two of them as a couple. If not for that awful misunderstanding, he might have been her boyfriend instead of Kyle.

Asuka yawned, too tired to stay awake any longer. "Well, good night, Judai. See you in the morning."

A second later, she was out like a light. But, thanks to all the wild emotions and thoughts in her head at the moment, she snuggled up against him in her sleep, smiling. It's doubtful that she could have been any happier at the moment.

Her sudden snuggling only made Judai blush deeper, but he closed his eyes to sleep, glad to have her there. Even if she _did_ have a boyfriend and what they were doing _was_ extremely inappropriate.


	22. Nearly Caught

**Edit: Midna messed up a bit on the narration, so there's been some minor changes made.**

 **Shadgirl2: I'm back! At long last, I'm back to writing. My other stories will come off hiatus just as soon as I get back to work on them.**

* * *

 **Junko's POV**

When I woke up in the morning, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was horrifying! Had Asuka totally lost it or something!? She was lying in bed, sound asleep, with Judai right next to her, and she had an arm draped across his chest! What could she have been thinking!? What about her boyfriend, Kyle? There was no way that he would want to hear about this, no matter how patient, forgiving, and understanding he was. This was just _wrong_!

I gasped, covering my mouth with both hands as I stared wide-eyed at the cheaters. I never knew Asuka was the type! They should both have been ashamed!

"OH, MY GOSH!" I cried.

At my shout, Asuka bolted up and out of bed, rushing over to me with her hands up in surrender. She was white as a sheet, looking guilty. Of course, that made perfect sense. I had just caught her _cheating_ , for heaven's sake!

"Junko, Junko, Junko, it's okay!" she said. "It's not what it looks like!"

In spite of her words, she looked nervous, sweating profusely. This just made it worse! She was trying to deny it all, but I wasn't stupid! I knew what it looked like, and, if that wasn't the case, I wanted to know _now_.

About then, Judai woke up, as if all the noise was nothing more than an alarm clock for him. In typical Judai fashion, he didn't look like he had a clue. Did he have _any_ morals!? I mean, he was _sleeping_ with another man's girl and didn't seem at all concerned about that!

"Huh? Wha…?"

Okay, he was just as clueless as always, so I turned my attention back to Asuka, who was clearly aware that what she had done was wrong. "Th-then what _is_ it, then!?" I asked. "Does Kyle know about this!?" I gave her a fierce glare, my hands on my hips.

From Asuka's reaction to being caught, the answer was obvious. Kyle knew _nothing_. As soon as I was done scolding Asuka about loyalty, I planned on telling Kyle. After all, old flame or not, cheating was completely unacceptable.

Asuka's lying response came with a guilty look. "No, of course not! And he doesn't need to know, either! We didn't _do_ anything, alright!?"

Oh, they had done _something_ , and I felt I should point it out. Even if Judai would probably never understand why it was wrong, Asuka would! I glared at her again, pointing at the naive man stupidly sitting in Asuka's bed, and said, "Yes, you did! You slept with him! Oh, if Momoe only knew."

I turned away from them both, my hands folded over my chest and eyes closed in shame. How could my friend have stooped so low? Why, just last year, she would never get in bed with _any_ guy! Any man who ever tried it faced her wrath. So why was she doing this!? Was she really so starved for Judai's love that she'd do _anything_ to get it? That idiot had warped her mind, and he was too stupid to notice!

Judai started to get up, saying, "Junko, that's not—" A cough cut off both his words and his movement.

Oh, so he _did_ know that was wrong. I mean, otherwise, he wouldn't have been feigning illness. When did _he_ get a brain? And, if he knew it was wrong, then why didn't he seem to care!?

A bit calmer now, Asuka started telling me her tall tale. "Look. I only slept with him 'cause he's sick and has no place to go." Glaring slightly, she jabbed a finger into my chest, which made me slightly nervous. I hate when Asuka gets like that! I backed up slightly as Asuka continued, "In case you forgot, Ai moved the barrier so he can't get anywhere sheltered but here!" She moved toward me, jabbing her finger at me again. " _And,_ in case you forgot, Ai's staying here! So, if he were to get his own room, Ai'd be all over him in a second! So I brought him in here to hide, and I slept with him _only_ to keep him warm. There's nothing going on between us, alright? We're still just friends."

Her attitude seemed to say she thought I was an idiot, and she sounded really annoyed. Had I barked up the wrong tree, maybe? I just stood there, stunned into silence. I mean, Asuka _seemed_ sincere, and she was acting as if I'd just insulted her.

"Well?" she snapped.

Well, a closer look showed me what I should have already noticed: They were both dressed. And Judai _did_ look a bit feverish, so maybe that _was_ all it was. Asuka really wasn't the cheating type, after all, and she left the sex hunting up to her brother.

I decided to let it slide. For now, at least.

"Yeah, okay. But you better not do that too often. People may start to wonder if maybe you two _aren't_ up to something dirty, so be more careful, alright?"

Asuka sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you."

There were two ways I could have taken that. The first was that she didn't want to get in trouble with Ai and Kyle for hiding Judai for his own good. The second was that she _was_ a lying, conniving cheat and just didn't want to get caught. But, since she had been so insulted and that wasn't really her style, I decided it was the former. After all, Ai was dangerous, and losing Kyle to save a friend was the _last_ thing Asuka needed. Especially since Kyle was the only guy she had trusted since that jerk had abandoned her so long ago. When Asuka turned to Judai, looking stern with her hands on her hips, it became clear that really _was_ her reason.

"You got that, Judai? We're not sharing a bed anymore, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," he said.

Good. The naive fool realized his mistake. Now Asuka wouldn't have to worry. Kyle and Ai would never find out.

Or so I thought.

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

Oh, was that close! Junko had almost cost me my boyfriend over some silly misunderstanding! And, if _that_ had gotten out, Ai would undoubtedly have heard about it, too, and we'd _both_ be in trouble! And for what? Sleeping with Judai? Taking advantage of him? That was the exact same thing _Ai_ was trying to do and the rest of us were trying to stop! Not to mention I already had a boyfriend, so why the hell would I ever want to do that!? That accusation was insanely low, even if it _did_ look bad. Judai'd hate me for life if I tried that now! How stupid was Junko, anyway?

I had _thought_ I was in the clear, but a knock on the door made all of us tense. The voices we heard on the other side only made it worse.

"Asuka!? Junko!? You girls okay in there!?" Kyle called, sounding worried.

If it was just him, I could have handled it. But it wasn't.

"Asuka!?" Ai called, also sounding worried.

Oh, could Junko have _possibly_ screwed up any worse than this!? I knew Momoe would have been better! She wasn't as light of a sleeper, sure, but she'd never be stupid enough to attract _this_ much attention in a dangerous situation like this!

I sweat, suddenly nervous. How the hell was I going to cover this up!? I cupped a hand around Junko's ear and whispered, "Way to go, loud mouth."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know?" she whispered back.

Clearly I wasn't the only one who was nervous because, right about then, Judai started looking around as though searching for a place to hide. Who could blame him? Ai was out there, for heaven's sake! But he was still sick, and more noise was the last thing we needed, anyway. It would only raise their suspicions more, so I quickly turned to him, holding a hand out to signal him to stop.

"Shh. Don't move," I commanded in an urgent whisper. "I've got this."

Before he _could_ make things worse with more noise, I slipped out the door, opening it just enough to get out as I slid out and shut it behind me. Nothing suspicious about _that_ at all! Just a woman sliding out of her room as though she's hiding something!

Junko was so _dead_ after this.

* * *

 **Junko's POV**

Oh, boy, did I ever screw up! I had totally forgotten about Ai and how close she was. That was the _one_ person in the _entire_ world that did _not_ need to know that Asuka had been with Judai that night. What could I have been thinking? The only reason any of us were even there was because of Ai, and I knew how dangerous she was! She had tried to _kidnap_ Asuka the first night we were there! So why had I been so noisy in that hotel room!? Ai was practically right around the corner! I had to cover this up somehow.

I decided to get dressed, hoping that could cover some of the noises. I mean, sure, it wouldn't cover my earlier scream, but it could cover some of the movement sounds, at least. Fortunately I was the only one moving right then—Judai had done just as Asuka said and was staying perfectly still, seemingly hesitating even to breathe. Now, if we could just cover up that scream of mine, we'd be golden!

We were so dead...

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

Asuka slammed the door behind her—after slipping out of her room without opening the door much at all—and stood right in front of it, looking surprised and nervous. She hadn't answered us when we had called, either. In fact, she had even taken a little too long to come out, considering that she was still in her night clothes, anyway. How inconsiderate! Both of us were worried sick about her, given all the screaming from Junko, so she could at least have _said_ something! What was she trying to hide, I wondered.

"Ai! Kyle! What's up?" she asked, as if that question were at all sensible.

Kyle just gave her a blank stare for a moment, stunned. Who could blame the poor man? Here he was worried about his friend, and she was acting like everything was fine, even though she was _clearly_ hiding something. "Was that Junko I heard screaming just now?" he asked at last. "Is she okay?"

Asuka smiled and closed her eyes, but there was still a hint of nervousness in her attitude. Besides, according to my research, Asuka hadn't looked like _that_ since she and Judai had their relationship crumble before them. "Oh, yeah, she's fine. Just dreamed she was married to Vice Principal Cronos." She opened her eyes, still grinning like Judai did in the old days, as she added, "I mean, who _wouldn't_ scream if you dreamed about _that_?"

Kyle closed his eyes and laughed, and I was quite struck by the sound of it. It was such a joyful sound, reminiscent of the laughter I'm told Judai used to let loose, yet more mature. It was a wonderful sound, and probably a lot more common than a genuine laugh from Judai was in those days. He opened his eyes, still smiling, and said, "I see. That _is_ a nightmare." As he calmed down, his smile reflected that as the laughter left his expression. "So that means everything's okay, then?"

Kyle may not have seen the nervousness that was starting to fade from Asuka's face, but I certainly did. I mean, why would someone _else's_ nightmare make her nervous? It didn't make any sense!

"Why do you seem nervous?" I asked, still suspicious of what she was hiding.

Asuka sweat a bit. Not terribly noticeable, but I'm known for picking out little details like that. Her tone still managed to be nothing more than confused when, an eyebrow raised, she said, "Nervous? Why would I be nervous? I'm perfectly fine. And so is Junko. What's there to be nervous about?"

I narrowed my eyes. The beads of sweat on her brow were proof that she _was_ nervous, which meant she was lying. She didn't want us to know about _something_ , and I was seriously starting to wonder what.

Kyle turned to me, showing his confusion as plain as Asuka's fake confusion. The difference, however, is that his was genuine. "Say, are you feeling okay, Ai? She seems fine to me."

I disagreed. She was hiding something, and I was certain of that. However, I decided to let it go...for the moment. "If you say so," I relented after a moment.

Asuka smiled again, all signs of nerves gone now. She must have decided she was in the clear now that I was done asking questions. "Don't worry, Ai. I'm fine."

The conversation might have ended there, with me remaining suspicious but willing to let it drop. However, Junko chose that moment to startle us all by barging out of their room in much the same way as Asuka. The key differences were that she was being more aggressive and was doing nothing to hide her unease. She was dressed, at least, so some of the noises were explained. Like Asuka, she quickly slammed her back against the wall, a weird grin on her sweat-coated face. Asuka stared at her, looking more nervous now than before. I couldn't blame her—Junko was here blowing her whole story by wearing the truth all over. She clenched her teeth at her horrible actress of a friend.

"Hey, guys? How's it going?" Junko asked, then she gave an awkward laugh, sweating even more.

Asuka put a hand to her head, sweating, clearly thinking that her friend was a fool. Not that Kyle noticed Asuka's reactions—he was more interested in Junko, staring at her in wide-eyed confusion and shock. He raised an eyebrow.

I started putting the pieces together. We had heard Junko scream, "Oh, my gosh," then received no answer when we came to check on the two of them. Asuka came out in her night things, looking nervous, without acknowledging us at all. More noise came from behind the door. Asuka mimicked Judai's old look, which she hadn't done since the rift had formed between them. The nervousness faded when Kyle bought her tale, then came back with a vengeance when Junko, much more anxious, had come rushing out. And I hadn't been able to find Judai anywhere the night before. I had told Kyle the truth, and he was close to Asuka. Was it possible Junko had seen a _man_ in Asuka's bed this morning? Kyle probably would have told her what I'd said about Judai.

"Alright, where's Judai?" I asked, my hands on my hips. "I couldn't find him anywhere last night."

Asuka blinked, and her eyes were wider after that. To the untrained eye, she would have looked like Judai when he was younger and confused. To me, she seemed like she had been caught in the act of doing something unseemly. "Judai?" she said, sounding neutral in spite of the sweat on her brow. "Why should I know where he is? What? First you think I'm nervous, then you see Junko recovering from her bad dream and think I'm hiding something? That's mean, Ai. I thought we were friends."

She turned on the guilt there at the end, trying to seem like I had hurt her. But she was still showing signs of unease, and Junko was looking even worse, sweating buckets with a strange look on her face.

"Then why are you _both_ so nervous? Hmm?"

Junko slammed her eyes shut and covered her mouth with both hands, going rigid. She whimpered a bit, sweating still.

Asuka cast a nervous glance at her out of the corner of her eye, sweat pouring down her face as well. Kyle raised an eyebrow, scratching his head in curiosity.

Asuka clenched her fists in front of her, glaring, as she said, "Nervous? I'm not nervous! Why don't you believe me!?"

Gee, I don't know, maybe because she just seemed to get more worked up the longer we talked about this. I mean, she may not have _sounded_ it, but she was clearly as high strung as my mother during final preparations for _any_ ball that Misgarth has ever had.

Even Kyle seemed concerned now. He stopped just staring and actually addressed Asuka, sounding concerned as he asked, "Asuka? Are you _sure_ you're okay? Now you _do_ look to be a bit pale."

Asuka stiffened, looking even worse now. Her tone started to show it, even, when she protested, "I'm not!" Yet she was pinned against the wall, sweating buckets. Her expression, although she was glaring, showed how anxious she was.

That did it! I knew that she was lying to me, and I knew it _had_ to involve Judai because there was no other reason for her to be so worked up when I mentioned him. "What are you hiding!?" I demanded.

Asuka waved her arms through the air, seeming about as freaked out as Sho. "Nothing! There's absolutely nothing going on, I swear!" Her acting, however, was suffering severely. It was becoming apparent that she was lying.

Kyle looked shocked by her reaction. Junko kept trying to pretend she wasn't standing there, whimpering and whining some more.

Looking concerned and worried, Kyle addressed Asuka again. "Come on, my love. What is it?" he asked, reaching a hand out toward her.

She looked around frantically, a sure sign that she was in serious trouble. "I, uh..."

Just then, I heard more noise from inside, although it was muffled quite a bit by Junko and Asuka whining. I heard what sounded like metal or wood moving, then a quiet or distant thump. Kyle seemed not to have heard this noise, though he did reach for the doorknob to check out what was going on in there. It didn't seem as though he was at all suspicious, though—just concerned. Gently, he pushed the girls aside and turned the doorknob.

Asuka and Junko both jumped toward him, eyes wide and hands held out. "No! Don't!" Asuka cried at the same time that Junko said, "I wouldn't if I were you!"

Kyle stopped after only opening the door a crack, turning to the girls in concerned confusion. Tired of this game, I pushed passed him, shoving the door open. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the other two girls cover their eyes.

But there wasn't any reason for it.

Kyle looked even more confused than ever as he peered into the room, followed immediately by the two nervous wrecks. Aside from two messy beds, there wasn't anything about this room that even said it was occupied, let alone any reason to be acting so suspicious.

Kyle stared, stunned into silence. For my part, I was starting to think those two girls were insane and that I had just imagined the sounds I thought I had heard just a few moments ago out in the hall.

"What is wrong with you two?" I asked. "I don't get it!"

Asuka looked instantly calmer—and angry. She put her hands on her hips and said, "See? I told you nothing was wrong!"

Junko had her hands folded over her chest, looking relieved. "R-right. I just had a _really_ weird dream, is all..." She lowered her head and muttered, " _Really_ weird. Geez."

Their behavior still didn't make a lot of sense, but I didn't comment. "Well, okay, then."

Kyle looked around for another second, then raised an eyebrow and headed toward the window. That was when I noticed—it was wide open, no screen or anything.

"Why is this window open?" he asked, turning to the two ladies as he pointed at the window, its red curtains blowing in the breeze.

Asuka kept her cool this time, giving a lame look to Kyle. Junko, on the other hand, looked at her friend with slight concern. Yet another hint that _something_ had been going on here...and proof that I _had_ heard noises from in here a moment ago. "It's a beach. In the summer," Asuka answered. "You tell me."

Junko relaxed again, apparently in agreement.

Kyle looked a little suspicious now, but he quickly covered it up. "If you say so." With that, he headed for the door. He stopped in the doorway, looking over his shoulder with concern once again. "Well, if you girls need anything, you know where to find me, right?"

Junko perked up, all signs of her previous distress now gone. "Okay! Thanks, Kyle!"

He smiled and said, "Later," as he walked out.

Asuka looked angry and insulted. Junko's expression was neutral. I could tell that they were both waiting on me to decide whether they were innocent. Well, far from it. However, I had no proof, so I decided to just take precautionary action.

"Hmm...interesting..." I said to myself. Then I narrowed my eyes and shrugged it off. "Well, whatever. I'm going to go find Judai."

With that, I left. After all, I needed to find Judai, regardless of what I chose to do next.

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

I sweat once more, my nerves shot again. As if the night before hadn't been bad enough! Sure, I had managed to convince Kyle that nothing was wrong, but Ai still seemed suspicious. Why did Junko have to scream like that? I'd almost lost my boyfriend, now we may have been in _serious_ trouble. Ai wasn't someone who was easy to deceive, and she was dangerous! If my suspicions were right, Junko, Kyle, and I had to get out of here quickly. _Why_ was my friend such a bad actress?

Once Ai was out of earshot, I turned to Junko and asked, "Why do I get the feeling she's onto me?"

Junko crossed her arms, glancing at the door out of the corner of her eye. "Knowing her, she probably is."

Great. Junko saw it, too. Staying there was clearly dangerous. Ai was bound to—

My train of thought was interrupted by the screams of a man and a woman down the hallway. Somehow, the voices sounded somewhat familiar.

"YEEK! Natsuko! Do you know what we just _did_!?"

"Huh!? Was that—"

Junko and I both ran to the doorway and looked out into the hall. Sure enough, Lisa's door was wide open, the screams coming from there. And, from the sound of things, those two were in serious trouble. Especially if my hunch was right.

"Oh, geez!" Natsuko panicked. "We...!"

I sweat, bracing myself for what I was about to find. I knew Natsuko, and casual sex wasn't something to scream about for him. He made a point to have sex with just about every woman he ever met—his friends and their sisters being the noted exceptions. However, there might have been _one_ thing involving a woman that he would consider panic-worthy.

Calmly, albeit awkwardly, I started toward their room. "And that makes two reasons for me to head over to my family's villa now... Hey! Natsuko! Need a hand!?"

* * *

 **Junko's POV**

Okay, this morning just kept getting weirder and weirder. First there was that mess with Judai and Asuka, now that hunk Natsuko seemed like he was in a bind. As I watched, he came out of that room with a towel wrapped around his waist, along with his latest flame—lucky girl—who was also wrapped in a towel. Asuka, seemingly disturbed at the naked couple before her, talked to them quietly, and they seemed to agree with whatever she was saying, though they both looked more worried. I couldn't tell what they were saying, but Kyle came running back over after a minute, concerned about them as well. This morning was just too weird for me.

"...Okay?"

No, I really didn't care what was going on. It was _way_ too weird, and I was supposed to be traumatized anyway, so going over there would have ruined everything for sure...assuming, of course, that it wasn't _already_ ruined. Still, better safe than sorry, so I headed back into my room, hoping that Ai would leave me alone if I pretended Asuka had lost her mind if she confronted me again. I mean, she _had_ slept with Judai, even if she _was_ just protecting him.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

I went in search of Judai, plain and simple, thinking that there was a distinct possibility that Asuka was lying to me. My plan was to kidnap him by sneaking up on him and knocking him out. I had disguised myself as a tourist, wearing a floral print dress, sunhat, and sunglasses as I searched for him. Finally I found him, only a few feet away. Acting like I didn't see him, I made my way in his general direction, avoiding making a beeline for him.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Well, this was a fun way to start a day. Waking up to Junko screaming, then Ai at the door immediately afterward. When it became clear they weren't getting anywhere at convincing her that nothing was going on, I decided to slip out the window as quietly as I could manage—second story or not. Now, after that narrow getaway, Yubel was on guard, covering my blind spots.

Floating backwards beside me, looking around, she suddenly stopped and stared at something, looking suspicious. I caught that out of the corner of my eye as I was walking. _"Hey. Heads up. You've got company,"_ she said.

I glanced back slightly, carefully, and caught sight of a woman who looked like a tourist, but you could never be too careful.

Yubel turned to face me, saying, _"Don't know who it is, but they're following you. Be on your guard."_

 _Got it,_ I answered silently.

Yubel vanished then. Knowing her, she probably thought I could handle it now that I was aware of the threat. I usually can, after all, and I didn't figure this time would be any different. I was calm, after all, not distracted by stupid emotions like the day before. I kept walking normally, as if there wasn't anything going on. That woman kept following me, but I just waited. After all, if she didn't strike, I didn't need to worry.

Finally she made her move. She lunged forward, apparently intent on attacking. I dodged with a side-step, then grabbed her arm and pulled off her sunglasses, taking note of the cloth clenched in the hand I held.

"Ai!?"

Of course. Who else would it have been? It wasn't like every woman on that island was stalking me, after all. That cloth was probably drenched in chloroform, knowing her.

"Judai, stop being so stubborn already!" she said, not even bothering to struggle. She knew by this point that I was stronger than her. "You _know_ you aren't getting off this beach until you do as I say!"

"Forget it, Ai," I said, closing my eyes. "I'm not interested." I tossed her aside. "Just give up already. You're not going to win this."

"Oh, are you sure about that? Because I beg to differ. You won't be sleeping with any other girls while _I'm_ around! Heed my words...you _will_ be mine!" Psychotic as always, she stormed off, leaving me standing there to worry about why that was so easy. And what she meant by "sleeping with any other girls."

"...Why do I have a bad feeling about what she's doing now...?"

 _"_ _Wait. Did she say with any_ other _girls?"_ Yubel asked. _"Now I'm worried. I mean, for your sake, that is."_

Ha! Yeah, sure, worried. Maybe a little concerned, but not worried. Yubel's not really that fond of any of my friends, especially Asuka. With the way she'd been treating me lately, Yubel's feelings for her had deteriorated—she used to just be jealous of her since I liked her so much. Now she hated her guts.

I stood there for a moment, thinking about this. Asuka was supposed to hate me, according to the story Ai had heard. And, if Ai had figured out why Asuka and Junko were so nervous, she might do something to get her out of the way...

"Okay, it's no big deal. I just gotta keep acting like Asuka hates me, and sooner or later she'll stop suspecting it, right?"

Overly optimistic, huh? Yubel sure thought so.

 _"_ _It's Ai, dimwit. You tell me,"_ she said lamely.

She was right. "...Crap..."

I started running back toward the resort to find Asuka, but I saw the Monarchs move as the barrier started shifting again. It started shrinking again, and so did the Monarchs so that they wouldn't crowd each other out.

"Crap, what's she doing _now_?" I groaned as I kept running.

When the Monarchs stopped this time, reforming the barrier, I looked around, taking in my new limitations. From what I could tell, I was stuck on the beach. I couldn't even get to the resort anymore! Just the beach and enough of the ocean to swim in.

"...Dang it, Ai!"

If this kept going, I was going to run out of room soon.

Yubel sounded seriously frustrated, her tone venomous and barely controlled. _"Judai. Please. Let me just—"_

"WHAT GOOD'S THAT GONNA DO!?" I bellowed, tired of all of this—Ai, Yubel's insistent desire to attack, being trapped on this damn island!

Winged Kuriboh appeared, kuriing as he tried to calm me down.

I sighed, getting a grip. Yelling at people wasn't going to solve my issue, and it wasn't going to keep Asuka safe from Ai. "Now what do I do?"

 _"_ _Well, you could still warn the others by calling them,"_ Yubel suggested.

Right. Duh. That was the easiest answer, wasn't it?

Calling Asuka herself was definitely out of the question. If Ai happened to be anywhere nearby, she might find out I was calling Asuka, and that would be a surefire way to get her in serious trouble. So I decided to call the person I trusted most on this island. Seeing as Johan wasn't there anymore and Sho hated her guts, I called Jim. I knew he'd answer and do something about it, after all. Jim was like Ed: loyal to his friends, no matter what they did to him.

* * *

 **Jim's POV**

When my phone rang, I knew it had to be something important. After all, my friends were the only ones who had my cell number, and Judai was in trouble at the moment. So, even if I had been in the middle of the ocean getting devoured by sharks, I still would have answered it. As it was, my situation wasn't nearly so dire—I was just wandering around downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, with Johan. Not that I _wanted_ to take a tour of this city, but Johan had insisted on going looking for something, and he said he couldn't go back to the Island of the Maiden without it. What with him being so close to Judai, I decided it was best to stay with him and help him find whatever it was, even if he wasn't willing to say what it was he needed.

So, like it or not, Rei and I were following Johan all around this city, looking for the right store—or stores. Rei kept complaining and demanding to know what was going on. Johan's most frequent answer, though, was, "Trust me, Rei, it's important."

My phone rang just after his third time of saying that. When I pulled it out, sure enough, it was Judai. I answered, saying, "Hey, Judai. What's up, mate?"

Three clothing shops. That's how many we'd been up to that point. And, each time, Johan had entered, looked around, and come back out, claiming it wasn't right.

As you might have noticed, he seemed to be throwing a bit of a wobbly at the moment.

"Jim, Ai's gone off the deep end completely," Judai said, showing that Johan wasn't the only one. "I can't leave the beach. I can't even get to the resort now because Asuka's there!"

"And why does that matter?"

At that moment, Johan saw another store up ahead, pointed, then started running toward it. Rei and I followed, though Rei was clearly annoyed with him.

"It's a long story, but it ends with Asuka helping me out and Ai getting suspicious and catching on," Judai said as I ran. "Point is, Asuka's in trouble, and I can't do anything about it! I can't even get back to the resort to warn her!"

Crikey, that wasn't good. But there wasn't much I could do about it from my end. I reckon Judai had the same idea as me—calling to warn her would just get her in more trouble.

"Sorry, mate, but I can't warn her either. See, I'm in Utah right now."

Johan ran into the fourth store, claiming he would be right back, so we waited outside, with Rei growling.

"What are you doing in Utah?" Judai asked, sounding confused.

"Picking up one of your mates."

I wasn't worried that Judai would think I'd abandoned him or anything. I mean, after graduation, I'd gotten his number from O'Brien and hassled him until he actually answered the phone. We'd talked about what had happened, specifically the duel with Haou, and we'd been in touch with each other ever since. Though, I have to admit, I was surprised to find out he wasn't in touch with most of the others. I'd have thought they would have worked things out before graduation. I suppose I was wrong.

Judai was silent a moment, then asked, "Is it Rei?"

I laughed. "You don't sound too thrilled about that."

"I've already _got_ a stalker! I don't need _another_ one right now!"

Just then Johan—by the way, did I mention he was still wearing that bizarre outfit he'd worn off the island?—came back out, looking glum. Once again, he hadn't found what he was after. And, if he'd been watching where he was going, he might not have bumped into that red-head. Granted, she shouldn't have had so many groceries in her arms that _she_ couldn't see where she was going, but still.

* * *

 **Johan's POV**

Well, this was a fine mess I'd gotten myself into! I had hoped I could find a good disguise to wear around the island as a tourist so that I could watch over Judai from the shadows. But I wasn't even sure what kind of look I should go for! I mean, if I was going to be stuck in it for a long time, I wanted to at least find something I'd feel comfortable with, not another mess like what I was wearing! Walking around like a circus freak was embarrassing! But, so far, all I was managing to do was hold up Jim and Rei and anger the girl we needed to help Judai, so maybe I should just tell them to go back without me. After all, Judai was a major mess the last time I'd seen him, and he needed someone there to comfort him. After that "Blame Judai" session, I didn't really trust any of the others to do anything about it. Besides, I could always head back if I ever found what I was looking for.

I guess I was so deep in though that I didn't see the woman until I crashed into her.

"Oops!" I said. "Sorry, miss! Didn't see you there!" I tipped my hat.

This was so embarrassing! Crashing into a girl and nearly knocking her groceries to the ground while wearing sombrero sunglasses, a "Beach Buddy" ball cap, a fluffy scarf... You get the point, I looked ridiculous! She was bound to think I was a nut already! Causing her to drop her groceries on top of all of that would definitely cause me problems.

Then I realized that this girl looked exactly like Ai, aside from her red eyes and slightly less curly red hair. Great. Ai's twin. Just what I needed to crash into!

 _Huh. Who knew Ai had a twin. Hope they don't act alike._

No doubt about it; somebody was poking fun at me. It wasn't like I needed a stalker to match Judai's, after all! And neither did Jim! What kind of mess had I gotten us all into?

* * *

 **Jim's POV**

When Johan apologized for crashing into that woman, Rei smacked herself in the face.

"Was that Johan?" Judai asked. I suppose he must have heard him in the background.

"Well, he came along, too, mate," I answered, thinking that was a perfectly harmless thing to say.

The sheila regained her balance and smiled sweetly, holding her paper bags a bit tighter. She seemed to have Ai's cheery disposition, though I got the feeling she was much sweeter than her lookalike. "No, no! That's so on me. _I'm_ the one who needs to pay more attention!"

Valleyspeak, eh? I didn't think that was common anymore. Good thing she toned it down a bit.

Johan just stared at her, stunned speechless. As well he should have. This was the first person we'd talked to today who hadn't either laughed at him or ignored him because of his outfit. _Why_ he was dressed that way was still a mystery to me, though.

"Okay? And, you guys are...where?" Judai asked.

"Downtown."

Johan's staring made the sheila cock her head curiously.

"If you're picking up Rei, why are you downtown in Utah? Shouldn't you be heading back? Or is the plane leaving later?"

Why did it sound like Judai was starting to wonder? "Well...Johan had something he wanted to find," I said, wondering what had happened between Judai and one of the others to lead to this new-found suspicion.

Johan blinked, then glanced over his shoulder and nodded, looking focused again. The sheila's expression lit up, and she looked a bit too excited. She seemed to be looking at Johan, but...not directly.

Rei rolled her eyes and started tapping her foot.

"Wait, I thought Johan couldn't come back here. Why does that stop _you_ from coming back?" Judai asked to my surprise.

Johan _couldn't_ go back? What had I missed?

"No, really," Johan said to his new friend. "I should have—" He cut himself off, noticing the way the sheila was staring at his shoulder. Her bags were even starting to slip from her grip.

Johan raised an eyebrow, somewhat nervous. I couldn't blame him for that one. After all, that was the look of a stalker he was getting. "What are you doing?"

That was when the sheila started throwing a serious wobbly. She got right up in Johan's face, talking excitedly to him as though he were some sort of movie star. At first, Johan backed up, but then he realized she was talking about Ruby Carbuncle, and he joined her.

Right, I forgot he could see spirits. Clearly, so could she.

Rei turned away, clenching her teeth with impatience. The sound of a car horn, caused by impatience at rush hour traffic, no doubt, echoed in the background.

All was quiet on the other end of the line for a moment before Judai asked, "Where are you again?"

Alright, he was definitely acting as if he didn't trust me. That was a new one for me—I'd thought we'd worked that out during our lengthy conversation six years ago. We had already talked about the event that had left him feeling alone, and he knew full well that I wasn't angry at him. He shouldn't have been directing his abandonment issues at me! What had happened?

"Look, don't worry, mate. We're coming back."

In the background, Johan wasn't helping my case as he and that sheila of his both talked and laughed about their duel spirit partners.

"Yeah, sure," Judai said sarcastically. There was a hint of betrayal in his tone, which made me think I should just leave Johan there and head back right then.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Johan whisper something to the sheila—after saying, "Oh! I totally forgot! I need to—"

So he was spilling his secrets to a complete stranger, but wouldn't ask me for my help? Was I that untrustworthy, according to these blokes? Judai didn't think I was coming back, and Johan would sooner trust a stranger than me.

Ah, well. Nothing I could do about Johan. Judai was my more immediate concern—he was the one with real trust issues, after all. "I'm serious!" I said.

"I should go. You're clearly useless," Judai said. Without giving me a chance to respond, he hung up.

The sheila cocked her head again as Johan finished whatever he'd been saying. Then she shouted, "Oh, that's an easy one! Try this." Then she whispered something back to him as I, irritated and concerned, slipped my phone back into my pocket.

"Was that Judai?" Rei asked. "What's going on?"

"I think we should hurry up and get back there," I said. After all, Judai couldn't deny that I was trying to help and that I cared if I actually did come back. That man's trust was too easy to lose ever since that incident...

"Right. So what do we do about _this_ guy, then?" Rei asked, nodding toward Johan with a glare.

Admittedly, I couldn't help but wonder the same thing. After all, he said he wanted to go back, but there was something he needed before he could, and now he was just standing there talking to this sheila and wasting more time when Judai was clearly suffering from more than just Ai issues. And what did Judai mean, Johan couldn't come back? Why was it that being with Johan meant I probably wasn't going to come back to the island?

Johan nodded, saying, "Great idea! That could—"

"Johan, I hate to interrupt," I said, "but I think Judai's running out of patience." As I continued, Johan and his new best mate turned to me curiously. "So either you hurry up and figure out what you need, or we're leaving without you."

Of course, I used the word "patience" for want of a better word. Judai was running out of many things—trust, for one thing—and I didn't want to join the ranks of those who had caused him to have more problems than a '71 Pinto.

Johan rubbed the back of his head a bit, then pulled out a pen and some paper. The sheila blinked, looking slightly confused.

"Uh, listen, Kathy," Johan said, "I've gotta go. But call me sometime, okay?" He quickly jotted down what I assumed was his phone number and handed it over.

Rei started growling even more fiercely. She was making Karen look like a kitten right then. "Hurry it up already! Judai-sama needs me!"

Kathy, as he had called her, took the paper. "Okay! Well, you better get going, then! See ya! And good luck getting that disguise!"

With one hand, she waved goodbye, then walked off while Rei and I just gaped at Johan. What in the world did he need a blary disguise for!? Was this related to why he couldn't go back to the island? What kind of mess had he gotten himself into this time?

Johan sweat at our reactions. "Thanks, Kathy. For saying it _out loud,_ " he muttered sarcastically.

Right, because I don't need to know that one of my mates is trying to find himself a disguise for some reason.

Rei was too stunned for words, but _I_ certainly wasn't! "Alright, mate, what's going on?" I asked.

Johan turned to us, rubbing his head. "Well, uh, you see..."

As he awkwardly explained his story about attacking Ai, Rei's jaw dropped in shock. So did mine, for that matter. What had possessed him to do something like that? We had enough problems without him getting himself on Misgarth's most wanted list!


	23. Drunk Marriages and Warnings

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Yubel's POV**

After Judai hung up, I was still trying to process everything I'd just heard. Jim was in Utah, picking up Rei, with Johan wanting to tag along? But that idiot had to get something first? Not that I cared, but wasn't it dangerous for him to come back? I just didn't get any of it. Judai's friends were real freaks.

 _"_ _...What was that?"_ I asked, still stunned.

"Don't know, but they aren't coming back if they're running around with Johan," Judai said as he dialed another number. Looking over his shoulder, I could see that it was Manjoume.

Sheesh. Asuka this and Asuka that. Why did he have to care so much for her? Sure, she had helped him last night, but she'd been _hurting_ him for the past six years! One night of being _nice_ wasn't even close to enough to cover all that! Why'd that idiot forgive her so quickly, anyway? She'd made him cry and left him all alone just the day before, even! So why was he so nice to her? She should be his enemy! _I_ was after treating him like that, so what did this bitch have that I didn't? This wasn't fair at all. He loved that bitch more than he loved me?

* * *

 **Manjoume's POV**

Well, now I know what Judai was doing before he called me. While he was on the phone with Jim, Natsuko and Lisa dropped a bombshell on all of us with Asuka's help—they'd gotten married, drunk. And just when I thought the idiot couldn't get any worse. I mean, the drinking and flirting was bad enough, but _now_ he was getting _married_ in the middle of a _rescue mission_? Who the hell does that!?

Fubuki and Fuyuko seemed to agree with me. They both looked less than satisfied, and Fubuki looked horror-struck. Well, gee, I wonder why _that_ was? It wasn't like we had an army of _stalkers_ to deal with to go with this marriage fiasco!

Fubuki gasped. "Natsu! Is this true!?" He glared at the guy, somewhat disappointed.

As mad as Fubuki was, though, Fuyuko was worse. "Ugh, seriously?" he asked, a hand to his face. " _This_ is what happens when I finally go on a date!? I leave you unsupervised for _one_ night, and you up and get _married_!?"

Yup, he was fuming. He made some wild hand gestures at Natsuko while he was talking.

All things considered, the guy's sister should have been mad, too. As it was, however, it seemed idiocy ran in the family. Her reaction was the _exact_ opposite.

"Hi, nice to meet you," she said, holding out a hand to Lisa with an amused look on her face. "I'm Akiko, your new sister-in-law."

"...Hi..." Lisa said, seeming nervous. She was holding her arm and looking down slightly.

Can't say that I blamed her for being nervous. After all, _drunken_ marriages were some of the worst possible things you could ever do in a lifetime! But, as _interesting_ as _that_ was, what _Akiko_ had just done was even _dumber_. I mean, for crying out loud! She just welcomed this foreign stranger into her family with open arms! Can these fools get any weirder? They were giving _my_ band of morons a run for their money, and that was saying something! After all, I just spent the past nine years hanging out with a Dark Magician Girl "fiance" who tried to steal my girl _twice_ and a self-proclaimed lady-loving _idol_ who never even went into the business after school. I wasn't even sure I wanted to know what he was doing now—it was probably something stupid.

Others in my group loved dragging _live_ crocodiles everywhere they freaking went; dreamed of becoming a dinosaur, _literally_ , and got a T-Rex bone put in to _prove_ it; another believed in self harm for the sake of pleasing the crowd (Seriously, who works himself so ragged that his hand is always bleeding, anyway!?); and the last two nut jobs were the worst of all! _One_ didn't even know what planet he was living on and made friends with crazy stalkers on a regular basis, and the other was his forever-lost twin!

And just when I thought things couldn't get any _weirder_ , here these four "seasons" were stalking me, _marrying_ total _strangers_ , _accepting_ them as _family_ , and dating girls they claimed they couldn't stand!

Wait a minute! What was that last part again?

I started thinking of what Fuyuko had said he was doing. Okay, so he _wasn't_ keeping that _one_ idiot out of trouble because he was with someone else? And that someone was a _girl_ , since he said he was on a _date_ and I doubted he went that way, and the only girl I had _ever_ seen him with was—

"F-for real!?" I asked him, my eyes wide, feeling hopeful for a change. " _That's_ where you two were all afternoon yesterday!? This isn't a joke, right? You're actually dating now, right? Right!?"

"Yes," Haruko said. "And, Natsu, I'm so happy for you!" She jumped up and down, clapping her hands together in front of her. Then she stopped, looking confused, as she added, "I think..."

Oh, no freakin' way! Was she serious!? _That_ would be a dream come true, if she _was_! Why, with that, I'd _finally_ be stalker-free! Then all we'd have to worry about was the stalker-stealing clown! After all, Ai wasn't the _first_ one he'd taken. _Rei_ was stalking the Kaiser before that idiot decided he liked being stalked rather than being left alone. Seriously, who _does_ that to themselves? You don't act _better_ than the guy being stalked with the stalker _right there_! Sheesh.

"You were drunk, weren't you!?" Fuyuko demanded, looking about ready to strangle someone. His eyes were practically bulging out of his head from rage. "Honestly, I never thought I'd be the best man at your wedding, but I never thought it was because you'd get married _drunk_!"

Heh, _clearly_ that idiot was in for it. He just got a poor, innocent girl drunk and _married_ to him, after all. Oh, well. Not my problem. _My_ problems were Judai, Sho, Asuka, and Haruko, and Fuyuko was _fixing_ some of that!

...Hold up. Did I just say I had _four_ problems, and only _one_ was being solved. Ai, you're a real bitch for what you did to these morons. Now _Sho_ was mad, and _Asuka_ was taking _your_ side! This was getting ridiculous! _How_ much _damage_ can _one deranged princess_ cause!?

That weirdo Akiko dragged me away from those uncomfortable thoughts with her next action.

"Yeah, we _both_ thought it was because you'd never get married," she said, crossing her arms and smirking.

Yep, that's right. She was _smirking_. Smirking! At her idiotically drunken, married brother!? What was she on, anyway? Stupid pills? No _sane_ person would be glad for that in a hundred million years! Sheesh! Was anyone smart around here, or was it _just me_?

"Yeah, man! What were you thinking!?" Fubuki asked, looking downright disappointed and horror-struck. He waved both his arms through the air as he spoke, emphasizing his point. Well, for _that_ moment, at least, _he_ was sane!

Natsuko sweat, then rubbed the back of his head and said, "I wasn't?"

No, duh, he wasn't. You _don't_ think when you're blind, stinking _drunk_! What kind of an _idiot_ lets that happen, anyway!?

"Clearly!" Fuyuko snapped in Natsuko's face.

Well, as _entertaining_ as this whole "I got drunk and married" mess had been, there was just _one_ thing said today that was even _more_ important. Haruko. I mean, she'd gone on a fucking _date_ with _Fuyuko_! _A date!_ That meant she was _with_ the guy now! So, if _that_ was true, Stalker Island was about to get one less stalker. And it was _mine._ This was too good to be true, and, knowing _Haru_ , it wasn't.

Well, only one way to find out.

I moved toward her, getting up close, trying to hide my excitement and look serious instead. After all, this was great news. One less stalker would mean one less problem to worry about. That, and a _great_ reason to celebrate, what with me being stalker-free after five long years.

I brushed off the Natsuko thing and spoke to Haruko in a more serious but cautious tone. Better safe than sorry, after all. "Yeah, yeah, that's great. Congratulations. Now, _Haru_ , you're _sure_ about this one, right? I mean—"

Before I could finish that thought, my blasted phone went off, signaling _one_ thing. What had that fucking Ai been up to _now_? I was in the middle of something important here!

I answered my phone, still annoyed but covering it up with my usual seriousness. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Manjoume, Asuka's in danger," Judai said on the other end of the line.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

That was _not_ what I expected to hear at all. _Tenjoin_ was in _danger_? That dumb bitch had betrayed us all! What the hell did he mean _she_ was in danger!? _He_ was the one _trapped_ in the enemy's clutches! Tenjoin was walking on easy street!

Everyone in the room looked over at me in concern. Well, gee, I wonder why everyone was doing that? It wasn't like me getting called on my private line was an _emergency_ call from _Judai_. He was the only guy _with_ that number, after all.

"What is it, Manjoume-senpai?" Kenzan asked.

"She's been acting like she hates me to get on Ai's good side, and she figured she was in too deep to just pull out, so she kept acting. Well, Ai's onto her."

...Okay, _that_ one made _no sense_ at all! Acting? Got in too deep? What kind of crazy _nonsense_ was this guy spouting? She sounded angry to me! And, with everything Fubuki told us the night before, it made total sense why! What the hell was this guy talking about?

Even though I knew he couldn't see it, I reflexively held up a hand to signal for Judai to slow down and explain himself. This was just confusing. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up, you lost me. What do you mean it was just _acting_? It seemed real enough to me. And, from what I've heard, she—"

Before I could finish that, the fool in question spoke up, sounding concerned. "Is that Judai? What's going on now?"

Looking over at her, Asuka Tenjoin _looked_ concerned, too. … _Concerned. She_ was looking concerned. After everything she had done. And Judai said it was just _acting_? Yeah, _this_ needed addressed ASAP. Judai's little problems could wait. This was _way_ too important to ignore.

I covered the mouth piece, giving Tenjoin a serious but somewhat confused look. "He says your act's been found out. Funny, since we didn't even know you _were_ acting. What gives, Tenjoin?"

"Yeah! Since when did you decide to start doing that?" Kenzan asked, sounding about as confused as I felt. I mean, if that was true, _why_ hadn't she _told_ anyone about it? We _could_ have helped that little act along! Seriously, _why_ was everyone so _stupid_? "And why'd you continue it after—"

Tenjoin cut him off there, sounding defensive. "I didn't have a choice, okay? Ai thought I was concerned about her safety, so I _had_ to stay so she wouldn't catch on. And I didn't tell you guys because I didn't think some of you could keep a secret, and I didn't want to risk Ai catching on by either seeing me with you guys or seeing me take off for this place, okay?"

...Okay, _that_ had to be the _first_ intelligent thing she'd said all week! At least, to the _majority_ of us, that is. Yeah, I had to agree with her. Many of these weirdos had big mouths. Off the top of my head, I could name with _certainty_ Sho Marufuji, Tyranno Kenzan, Fubuki Tenjoin, and the piece de resistance, Judai Yuki. Oh, if _that_ guy had found out too soon, he'd have blown the whole thing before Tenjoin-kun could even _get_ us the information we needed! Adding to all that the fact that _Haruko_ the _gossip_ girl had shown up, and there were more blabber mouths here than a high school girls' sleepover! _That_ excuse made _perfect_ sense.

Don't know what she told Ai to get herself stuck here, but at least she wasn't a traitor.

As I thought about this, there was a pause between her words and my response. At last, I said, "Okay."

I mean, that I could forgive. I probably would have done the same thing myself. Now all that was left of this _new_ development was alerting Judai to the fact that Tenjoin-kun was okay. _This_ should be fun. He worried about her more than Sho worried about him!

I uncovered the mouthpiece, turning my attention back to Judai. "You were saying?"

"Ai's starting to think she's acting, and there's no way she's just gonna let it slide," he said. "You've gotta warn her!"

I smirked. _This_ was gonna be fun. He was worried about someone who was already here! "Thanks. But she already knows."

I put the phone on speaker so that everyone could hear what was going on. Funny how they _both_ seemed to know, though. Tenjoin-kun didn't seem surprised by this at all. What did that idiot do _now_? Blow her cover with her _right there_ to _hear_ it?

I glanced at Tenjoin-kun, amused. Judai's stupidity was incredible sometimes. "Right, Tenjoin-kun?"

"Uh..."

Okay, was it my imagination, or did she look and sound a bit nervous?

"Asuka?" Judai asked.

"Hi," she said, sweating. "Judai. How are you?"

Yeah, she was nervous, alright. What, had _she_ blown her _own_ cover? Tenjoin-kun was smarter than that! What the hell was going on here?

Apparently Fubuki was just as confused as me. He looked a bit stunned when he said, "Whoa. Talk about freaky. How can you guys both know what's going on right now at the same time?"

He looked at Tenjoin-kun, curious. Her reaction got _my_ curiosity piqued, too. She turned away slightly, looking off to the side. Did I mention she was rubbing an arm like the newlywed drunken bride had been? 'Cause she was!

"It's a...long story..."

Okay, clearly _something_ had happened to those two. But what the hell was it?

I didn't have much time to think about it before Judai spoke up again, saying, "Ai just tried to ambush me, said something...ominous...then ran off and shrank the barrier again."

Can you say "face-smacking moment?" 'Cause I sure could! That little heathen was worse than ever! When it came to cruelty, she was the queen!

As I slapped myself in the face (told you it was a face-smacking moment), Kenzan sat forward on the other couch, his eyes wide. "What!? _Now_ where are you stuck at? _Surely_ it's not that dumb resort, is it?"

Fubuki and Tenjoin-kun looked less than pleased with Kenzan's comment about their _family's_ resort. Fubuki put on a lame look, and Tenjoin-kun closed her eyes in annoyance.

"Uh, Kenzan?" Fubuki said lamely. "Our family built that place, so I'd appreciate you not insulting it, please."

"Yeah. It's not our fault Ai's abusing the place, you know," Tenjoin-kun added, sounding just as annoyed as she looked.

Well, _clearly_ the Tenjoins would feel that way! They owned the place! I mean, really! Ai shouldn't even have _been_ there in the first place, so why blame the freaking _building_? Talk about a stupid move, Kenzan.

Kenzan sweat, laughing awkwardly. He _should_ be, too. He just insulted his friends' stuff, after all.

"No," Judai answered. "I can't get there anymore. I'm stuck on the beach."

I smirked some, thinking about that. _That_ was almost amusing. Just think: Judai Yuki, the wanderer, _outside_ in the cold, with _no shelter_ , every single night. Boy, if Ai wasn't an immediate threat because of that, it would be hilarious. This was a _golden_ opportunity to pick on the guy, though, and there was no way I was gonna miss it.

"Heh. Well, that sucks. And how's that working out for you?"

Tenjoin-kun glared at me then. Figured. She always had to ruin my fun, didn't she? But the guy was making it too easy just then! "Manjoume!" she snapped.

"Guys, this is serious," Fubuki said. "Judai's stuck outside, and Junko and Kyle are in trouble, too! Maybe we should send someone over there to get them also."

Okay, so the guy had a point. Picking on Judai could wait until another day. Right now, getting everyone safely out of Ai's grasp was way more important. Judai needed a hiding place, Junko needed to come here _now_ , and Kyle... Actually, Kyle would probably be alright. The guy was tougher than he looked and _way_ smarter than anyone currently gathered in this room. Well, aside from Fuyuko and the Kaiser, that is.

"What does Kyle look like?" Fuyuko asked. "Blonde hair? Green eyes? Someone we should keep out of sight of Haruko?"

And yet _another_ good point! Haru _loved_ body builders and _overly attractive_ men. Sure, Kyle was no O'Brien, but neither was Fuyuko, or, for that matter, me. He was buff enough to count! And his looks put the majority of us to shame. Luckily _I_ wasn't one of them. But Haru'd be all over Kyle like stink on a skunk, as the Americans like to say. Maybe he _would_ be safer back at the resort with Ai!

"Fuyuko! I'm surprised at you! You met him just last year! Don't you remember?" Fubuki asked.

"Yeah, bro! What gives?" Natsuko agreed.

...So even the _new_ guy knew Kyle? Hmm... Wonder how _he_ felt about him? Everyone in _my_ circus show _loved_ the guy, so I couldn't see why an outsider wouldn't.

Fuyuko closed his eyes and crossed his arms, saying, "I tend to try to forget _any_ fiascoes involving what I like to call mad Tokugawa schemes, if you don't mind. Regardless, I think Kyle can handle himself. If we relocate them, it will just serve to confirm Ai's suspicions."

...Okay, that's it! What the hell is a "mad Tokugawa scheme?" And does it have anything to do with "weird cats?" It was starting to sound like Fuyuko hailed from a group of lunatics, too! What's a "mad Tokugawa scheme," anyway? I was _definitely_ asking about _that_ one later.

And, on that _other_ note, he was right. Ai was already suspicious. A sudden, unexpected evacuation would only serve to prove her _right_. They needed to stay there, at least for now. Kyle could take care of them all, and everybody in the room knew it, too.

Since he'd come up, we all started talking about Kyle's greatness. After all, he _was_ pretty cool.

Kenzan's eyes lit up as he said, "Yeah! No worries, guys! Kyle's an awesome fighter!" He pointed at himself with pride. "I should know. We've gotten in the ring before, and, boy, was he good. Mostly because he was so clever, but still. Kyle's got Junko's back!" He closed his eyes, looking proud.

Yeah, that was _one_ of his better traits. He chose _brains_ over _brawn_. Anyone who can do that clearly knows what matters. It's not about how strong you are, it's all about your _skills._

"With Ai being a princess, being clever is the best way to fight her," Fuyuko said with a slight smile. "No physical force involved, so the family can't complain."

And that was another good point. Sure, Ai never did anything when you _did_ club her royal skull, but the point was she _might_ , and, if that were to happen, the idiot who did it would pay dearly. Take that dumb _Johan_ , for example. When he told us he "had to go," he'd "threatened a princess," I nearly fell out of my chair from embarrassment!

"That's good," the Kaiser said. "Then there's nothing to worry about. When it comes to cleverness, no one I know can compare."

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

I was starting to wonder if they even remembered that I was on the phone with them. I mean, they were talking to each other about how _great_ Kyle was, as if they'd totally forgotten I was still on the line. How protective Kyle was; how they could always count on him; how he had this, hands down... It was sounding like they liked and trusted him more than they did me. Even Manjoume, who didn't have anything good to say about most of us half the time, had nothing but great stuff to say about Kyle.

I liked the guy less and less the more I heard. Tired of hearing about how much better Kyle was, I hung up. After all, my message was delivered, Asuka was safe, and they clearly didn't want to talk to me, anyway.

* * *

 **Manjoume's POV**

Alright, as _fun_ as talking about Kyle was, _someone_ needed to get us back on track. And, since I was the _only_ one here still thinking about it, it seemed it was up to me. Smiling proudly, knowing that Kyle had this six ways to Sunday, I tried to get that idiot on the phone some help. He was still stranded out there with Ai, after all.

"Well, anyway, now that that's settled, what do you wanna do about your problem?" I asked him. "Want us to see about building you a grass hut or something?"

That last part was meant to tease him, but something similar might work. All he needed was a safe, warm, dry spot to crash, so maybe some sort of house _would_ do the trick. Coming up with a _reason_ for building it should be fun, though. After all, who builds a house on a _public_ beach without a damn good reason for putting one there?

We all waited patiently for Judai to answer. _Hopefully_ he'd have some ideas. But no answer ever came.

"...Hello?"

Still nothing.

Okay, what gives? Had he hung up on us? What an idiot! This was not the time for _that_. Go be angsty somewhere else! Ai was gonna get you, for crying out loud!


	24. Mounting Problems

**Dislclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

As I put my phone away, I caught Yubel looking at me with concern. Or, at least, the closest she ever got to it. _"Hey. Are you okay?"_ she asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Fine."

So my friends all liked Kyle better. Big deal. It wasn't like it mattered.

I needed to focus on my own problems right then, since nobody else was going to do anything. They were more worried about _Kyle_ and how _he_ was doing and how _he_ could handle anything that life might throw at him. Briefly I wondered if he could handle a semi truck being thrown at him, but I brushed that thought aside quickly. Instead of worrying about that, I headed for the cliffs to finish checking for someplace sheltered. After all, Asuka had interrupted me the night before.

Yubel put her hands on her hips, looking annoyed. What else was new? _"Yeah, uh-huh. Do you think I'm stupid or something? We're not all as dense as_ you _are, after all. Now what's—"_

"Oh, shut up!" I cut her off. "So I'm not perfect, like Kyle! Just leave me alone!"

Winged Kuriboh came out, glaring at Yubel. He got up in her face.

Her eyes widened for a moment, then she moved away from the Kuriboh and, looking a bit more concerned, floated closer to me. _"Oh, come on. You think Kyle's perfect? Everyone has their flaws, you know. I'm sure there's something you're missing here."_

"Yeah, sure. Everybody loves him. What's there to miss?"

I wanted to hit him. I wanted to smash that ridiculous face of his into a wall and grind it there for a few minutes. I wanted to steal everything from him since that was what he was doing to me!

Yubel crossed her arms, a lame look on her face, as Winged Kuriboh moved to my side, looking concerned. _"Well, not_ everybody _does,"_ Yubel pointed out. _"_ You _clearly don't."_ She nodded at me with that last sentence.

Yeah, but I was the only one, and I probably just didn't like him because he was taking my place in my group. Worse, actually—he was filling my place _better_ than I ever had.

That's about when I saw Sho storming around the beach, seemingly aimless. He looked like he couldn't be any angrier if he tried. I mean, he was glaring daggers and grinding his teeth as he walked—no, stomped—around.

Yubel stared at him for a minute, apparently genuinely surprised. _"Wow. Looks like you're not the only one who's in a bad mood right now. What's_ his _problem?"_ She crossed her arms again, somehow managing to look both lame and confused at the same time.

Winged Kuriboh looked curious, too. He moved toward Sho a bit to get a better look. _"Kuri?"_ He turned toward me slightly, looking confused and concerned.

I thought about it for a minute, trying to figure out why Sho would be so mad. "Asuka's at the villa, and he's mad at her," I said after a bit. "That's probably got something to do with it."

So, in an attempt to be a good friend, I headed over to find out what was up with Sho. My two spirit friends vanished, giving the two of us some space. I approached him from behind.

"Sho?" I asked when I was close enough that I didn't need to shout.

He stopped walking, crossing his arms, but he didn't turn around. "Oh. Hi, Aniki. What's up?" he said, sounding as mad as he looked.

That's Sho for you. Always wearing his heart on his sleeve. You can _always_ tell when he's not happy.

"...Not much," I said, trying not to make too much of his tone just then. "Something wrong?"

He answered, still sounding mad, but also a bit annoyed now. "What do _you_ think?" He turned to face me, and he looked a lot like Manjoume did when he was annoyed as he continued, "You know, I can't believe you sometimes. First there was Yubel, and now Asuka. Why do you always forgive someone who's being a complete and utter jerk?" Turning back around, he closed his eyes and stuck up his nose as he muttered, "Or worse, in _some_ cases."

If not for the obvious appearance differences and the voice, I might have mistaken him for Manjoume right about then. I knew those two had been spending a lot more time together after that thing in Dark World, but did Sho _always_ adopt the characteristics and mannerisms of the people he hung out with the most? I mean, he hadn't turned into a clone of me at any point! This just wasn't normal, even for the guy who hid in a trash can to avoid dueling once!

I blinked, then said, "Because everyone deserves a second chance?"

You'd think he would know that was my reason.

Sho stood there a moment, though his posture changed slightly. Then he turned to me, giving me a lame look and lowering his hands. "Really? She's still doing it, you know. And the only ones who know for sure what it really is are you, me, and Natsuko."

I could have pointed out that Natsuko's new wife did, too, but I let that one go. Instead, I pointed out everything _else_ wrong with Sho's words and attitude. "Uh, Ai's catching on, everyone knows, and Asuka gave me a place to stay last night."

Sho narrowed his eyes. Funny, I'd expected them to fly open. He was silent for a minute, as if thinking about all of that. What, did he think he was related to _Manjoume_ instead of the Kaiser? I was seriously starting to worry about him.

When he spoke, I worried more because he still sounded like Thunder instead of him. "And how do _they_ feel about all this? And why'd she help you if her act's still going on?" He closed his eyes and crossed his arms again, asking, "Ai already on her trail when she did?"

Okay, that did it! I was separating him and Manjoume for awhile if it was the last thing I did! He'd been spending too much time with Manjoume, and he was starting to act like him because of it. Now I had to fix Sho. Again. Great. Last time, it took me almost three years!

"No! That's _how_ Ai caught on!" I answered.

 _That_ got the response I'd been expecting this whole time! He started, finally dropping the attitude. His eyes widened, like they should have done in the first place, and he looked straight at me, finally looking like himself instead of a carbon copy of Manjoume when he had to talk to me. "W-what?"

"Asuka helped me out last night after...a heckuva day," I said, deciding it was better not to tell Sho exactly what had happened. "She took me back to her room so I could sleep, and Junko screamed when she saw me there. That got Kyle's attention _and_ Ai's! Asuka didn't do such a great job acting, so I got out of there while Ai was interrogating her, but she's still suspicious."

"...What...?"

Well, this was more like Sho. He was looking at me in disbelief, as if the very thought of Asuka caring that much was crazy. Come to think of it, he'd said some interesting stuff to Asuka earlier. Stuff that matched that talk she'd had with Kyle. Had Sho known all along how she really felt? And he'd kept it to himself instead of telling me. Gee, Sho, might have been nice to have known. Then I wouldn't have been caught so off guard the day before!

* * *

 **Sho's POV**

Okay, so, according to Aniki, Asuka had helped him last night, putting her act in danger for it. But _that_ would mean that she cared, which she didn't! I knew that for a _fact_ thanks to that "cover story" of hers. But to risk her act _just_ to help Aniki stay safe and warm isn't something you _do_ when you _hate_ a guy. But...

I was just so confused, my head was spinning! Aniki had better have a good explanation! After all, I might not have known what story Asuka told Ai, but I _knew_ some of it had to be true! A made-up guy who _she_ loved, but who _never_ knew how she felt? Aniki fit where "Eric" should be, and I knew it! And she accused Aniki of being _dangerous_ , too! _Clearly_ she hated his guts, so why was she doing all that!?

"B-but what about the stuff she told—"

I'm sure my confusion and disbelief were showing clearly in both my tone and my eyes.

"We...had a little talk yesterday, too..." Aniki said, rubbing the back of his head and hesitating a bit. "About how she hated me for running off. Kyle told her some stuff Ai had said, so we worked that out."

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back that up! Aniki had _talked_ to Asuka about it? But he never even knew! Why, only a select few did, and, _fortunately_ for Aniki, he wasn't one of them! Unlike me! I spent all of last year listening to her yelling at my Nii-san all day long because of that "stupid jerk and his _best friend_ O'Brien!" I heard that every other day for eight months! Why, I was so afraid of Asuka that year, I spent most of my time _locked securely_ in my room unless I had a duel to attend! How'd Aniki find this out!? Did that big-mouthed Johan tell him!? And what on Earth did Ai tell Kyle!? She shouldn't have known anything useful, right!?

Naturally, with all that running through my head, my eyes bugged out. "What!? You did!? But how'd you—" I gaped at Aniki, totally shocked. After all, he knew things he was never meant to hear! _Painful_ things he didn't _need_ to hear! How the heck had he heard that!?

Before I could finish my question, Aniki cut me off with, "I overheard her and Kyle talking yesterday. The part I heard was her saying she hates me." He said this as if it didn't really bother him, although there was the tiniest bit of annoyance in his eyes when he said Kyle's name, for some reason.

But, more importantly, no! Aniki _heard_ her!? Well, that was just the icing on the cake! The absolute _worst_ possible way for him to find out! What was _with_ this guy!? I thought he was past his days of eavesdropping! He hadn't done any all the way through third year, so what made him do it now!? And of _all things_ to _hear_! That was absolutely the worst! Aniki couldn't handle that! He was too messed up as it was! What with him leaving forever and not saying goodbye to any of his friends, he _had_ to be bad! _Now_ he was hearing pure _evil_ from his ex-girlfriend!? Why was he even still _breathing_!? He should have been getting ready to jump in the sea and drown right about then!

Wait, didn't people usually act _completely fine_ right before they did something like that? Aniki! Don't do it! You've got too much to live for! Namely making up with me! You're my only aniki, Aniki! I don't want to lose you again! _Please_ don't do it!

I gasped, worried now. "Y-you—Aniki! Are you okay!?"

I'm sure my panic showed. Depending on his answer, I was gonna tell him at least part of what I was thinking. Specifically about how he was my only Aniki and I couldn't live without him. I mean, I loved this guy like my own brother!

Remember that word: B-R-O-T-H-E-R. No one go getting any crazy ideas here! Your precious editor might get very, very mad at you if you do!

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Aniki said, raising his hands in a calming gesture and making his tone reassuring. "Don't worry. We talked about that, and she doesn't hate me anymore."

No, no, no, no! That made no sense! Aside from Aniki trying to calm me down, that is. He always did that, even when he lied about sacrificing himself to save us third year. B-but that was besides the point! That was the _second_ time Asuka had hurt him, and all he could say was _she_ didn't hate _him_!? _He_ should hate _her_ for everything she had done! And how did her not hating him anymore make him feel better, anyway!? _He_ was the one wronged here!

" _What!?_ B-but why!? You were—" I hadn't calmed down at all. Sure, my panicked look may have changed some, but my eyes were still wide as dinner plates. And can you blame me? This was just crazy! And really, really bad!

"Sho, I left because...because I thought you guys wouldn't care either way," Aniki said, looking away.

Oh, no way! Had Aniki really just said that!? And he sounded upset, too! But I thought he left because he was messed up by the fusion! Kenzan told us he'd changed soon after it, so I had naturally assumed there was a connection! After all, Yubel was inside him now, and _she_ liked being alone! Aniki _loved_ being alone all of third year, so it made perfect sense! _Now_ he was saying he thought we _hated_ him!? What on Earth gave him _that_ crazy idea!? Did Yubel do something to him again!? That was the craziest thing Aniki ever said! I had to straighten that one out before it was too late and Aniki started hating us all for no reason!

"WHA!? Are you crazy!? Why would you ever think that!? Aniki, we—"

Aniki cut me off mid-rant, suddenly defensive. "You said that I betrayed you. That all I cared about was myself. What was I supposed to think?"

...Okay. So I _was_ thinking Aniki was being paranoid for no reason, but... Those words. _I_ said he'd betrayed me. I kinda remembered saying something like that...but the memory was a huge blur. Most of what I went through during Dark World was. I...sort of remembered hiding and watching my friend from afar. The nightmare known as Haou was very _vivid_ for me, but I wasn't sure why I did next to nothing back then. Or even why I doubted everyone's loyalty and friendship, including my Aniki's, until we got home. That whole adventure was a huge blur to me that I only remembered in bits and pieces.

But _one_ thing I was starting to recall was the words I said to Aniki: You're not my Aniki. For you, everything was alright as long as _you_ were okay.

With his words, Aniki managed to shut me up, and the only thing I was thinking was "oops." What had I done? Those were the harshest words I had ever said to anyone! And I didn't even know why I'd said them! And of _all_ people to say them to, Aniki!? What on Earth had I been thinking!? No wonder Aniki was so upset!

"Yeah, well, I, uh...lied?" I said before laughing awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head. I really didn't know what to say to that. After all, I might have said all that, but I _knew_ I didn't mean it! Was I _trying_ to push Aniki away!? Was I really that desperate to grow up _alone_!? Because there were _way_ better ways to get some space! I didn't have to be so cruel!

"That's why I was avoiding you guys," Aniki said, sounding slightly upset. "I thought you hated me."

I sweat again. Oh, this was bad. I had _such_ a big mouth back then. How would I ever explain it? "Right... See, about that...uh..."

I just couldn't explain myself on that one. _I_ didn't even get what I was thinking back then. I remembered doubting everyone, but I wasn't sure why. I remembered my friends being sacrificed in a duel Aniki was having, but I didn't know what for. All I knew for sure was that Aniki had been really angry with the guy who sacrificed everyone and glad I was okay, but, for some reason, _I_ wouldn't believe that!

Aniki smiled reassuringly and said, "Don't worry about it. Asuka talked to me about it already. She said she doesn't think any of you meant what you said that day."

I looked down. And I called myself Judai's friend. What kind of a friend lets a treacherous witch fix _his_ mistakes? Let alone a _best_ friend... They wouldn't. No friend in their right mind would ever let that happen. A _true_ friend _would_ explain themselves, say they're sorry... I wasn't worthy to call Judai a friend. Maybe _that_ was why _Johan_ was so "special." He was a _true_ friend...

"Yeah..." I said, ashamed.

I had no right to call this guy aniki, let alone hang out with him... After all, I couldn't come up with a good reason for being so cruel...because there _is_ none. No excuse would make up for how cruel I was that time... Maybe I should just leave, I decided. I'd done enough...

"It's okay, Sho," Judai said. "I'm just glad to know you guys _don't_ hate me."

"Yeah, okay..." I said, but I didn't agree. It's _never_ okay to say stuff like that... Surely Judai was hiding his inner hatred with those words, and I couldn't blame him. After what I'd done, who _wouldn't_ hate my guts? "Well, see ya."

I started walking off, feeling completely unworthy of Judai's friendship. My head was lowered, and I was slouching. I felt awful. Judai would be better off if I just disappeared... That way, he could forget he ever met the little scumbag known as me and move on with his life...

This was the saddest day of my life. It was time to let go of this friendship...forever.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Ugh, Sho, reading your viewpoint on that sure puts things into perspective! If you're still thinking _any_ of that, we need to have a long talk.

"Uh, actually, can you...stick around?" I asked Sho, partly because I didn't like the looks of him. I mean, he looked like he was feeling about as great as I had right after I'd been rescued by O'Brien back in Dark World, and that was bad.

Sho stopped and turned his head slightly, looking more dejected, depressed, and lonely than I had ever felt in my life. "Why?" he asked, his tone matching his expression.

"Because we're friends," I answered immediately. "And, uh...because Ai's got me stuck on the beach now. I can't even go to the resort anymore."

There. My real reason, and a good excuse to make him stick around so I could _convince_ him of my real reason.

Sho looked at me kind of funny, as if he thought I were an idiot. Figures. But he still looked like he was feeling unwanted at the same time. "R-really? But why'd you want to be friends with someone like me? I'm the—You're stuck where now?" Dejection and concern—two emotions that didn't mix well on Sho's face.

"On the beach. Outside. Unless I can find a cave or something in those cliffs." I pointed to them as I finished.

Sho looked that way a moment, apparently thinking about something. Then he lowered his head again, looking dejected, hated, and alone as he said, "Oh. You want me to help you look. Okay. That makes sense. Okay, Judai, let's go—"

The lifeless tone he was using as he started off for the cliffs needed addressed _right now_ , along with the fact that he just called me by name. It looked like me asking him for help was taken by Sho to mean I was just asking because he was the only one who could help. That wasn't good—trust me, I'd been there. I couldn't let Sho think that was what was going on!

"Sho! We're still friends!" I cut him off. "I wouldn't have asked if we weren't."

He stopped walking again and turned his head, but it was still lowered. Sounding ashamed, he asked, "Why? I'm no good. I said—"

Wow. Did Sho _ever_ stop hating himself? I mean, first it was because he thought he was useless, now it was because he thought he was a lousy friend. This guy had more issues than a magazine subscription!

"You didn't say anything worse than anyone else said."

He just looked at me blankly for a moment. Then he glared at me, trying to look mean while his self-hatred was still showing through. "You're not my Aniki!" he quoted. "Twice..." Then he lowered his head again and asked, "How's that not any worse?"

"Because Manjoume said you were all idiots for thinking of me as a friend," I pointed out.

 _That_ did it! He looked up, finally turning to me completely, his eyes wide in amazement. "He-he did?"

"Yeah. So what you said wasn't any worse, was it?"

Sho thought about it for a moment before saying, "I-I guess not, but—"

"You're my best friend, Sho," I cut him off.

His eyes widened in surprise, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Well, it was good to know that Sho felt so badly about causing me pain. Now I just needed to convince him that it was all okay. "R-really? Even after all—"

"Yes," I said, smiling.

Sho teared up. He lunged at me, wrapping me in a hug as he cried, "Oh, Aniki! Th-thank you! You're the best—" His own tears cut him off, his words dissolving into sobs.

Ah, typical Sho. It was just like that time I'd decided not to leave the Red Dorm after that promotion exam, or the day I came back after fusing with Yubel. I got pounced by Sho, who just sobbed on my shirt until it was completely soaked through. Why hadn't I realized how Sho felt about me back then? What, was I totally blind?

I just laughed. I'd have told him to let go, but I wasn't sure he'd take that well. Besides, I had kinda missed Sho's crazy outbursts these past six years.

"Aw, how adorable!" a female voice said.

I knew that voice too well—Ai. I tensed. "Oh, crap." I looked, and, sure enough, there she was.

Sho sniffled a bit. "W-what is i-it, An-iki?" he asked, looking up at me with the tiniest bit of confusion.

"The devil herself," I answered honestly.

"That's not very nice, Judai," Ai said, her hands on her hips.

"Neither are you."

"H-huh?" Sho asked, slowly turning to look. "...Hey, isn't that...?"

The look on Sho's face was nothing more than curious, like the kind of look you sometimes see from little kids. Apparently, when Sho gets his bearings after an outburst like that one, he's slow and child-like.

"Judai, aren't you tired of this yet?" Ai asked me. "You're stuck on this beach now! You're running out of places to run."

"Aren't _you_ getting tired of chasing after a guy who's never gonna say yes?" I countered.

"You're going to cave eventually, Judai."

"Yeah, sure. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I'm not marrying you."

Up to that point, I had to wonder if Sho even recognized Ai. I mean, he just kept looking from one to the other of us through that whole exchange.

Then Ai moved forward and pushed Sho aside gently, like she was just brushing some leaves out of the way. That's how little resistance he put up. All he did was widen his eyes in surprise and stare innocently. Seriously, this guy needed to get a grip!

"Oh, really?" Ai asked coyly, putting her hands on my chest.

I grabbed those hands and pushed her backward. "Stop that."

I was seriously getting tired of Ai's sexual advances! I mean, it wasn't like I even _knew_ her, and why would I _want_ to after she'd trapped me here!? She was just some crazy woman who thought she could force her will on others, probably because she was a princess. I guess she was used to getting her way because it never seemed to occur to her that she was doing anything wrong.

Sho blinked, and I could see the moment when his brain caught up with his eyes. Well, took him long enough. Seriously, I hoped nobody ever tried to do anything like that to _him_. He wouldn't even realize it was going on until it was too late, under the right circumstances. "...Hey!"

He lunged at Ai, looking angrier than I had ever seen him. I mean, he was angrier than when he fought with Kenzan, or when I ate his fried shrimp, or even angrier than he was at Asuka right now. He had a crazed look in his eyes. I'd never seen anything like Sho's behavior that day—except in horror movies. Now I was worried about him again!

"I _will_ have you arrested if you try it!" Ai said, wrapping her arms around my neck. To this day, I don't know if she was just grabbing something for defense or taking a hostage.

Either way, it was a bad move.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

If I could change one thing about what I did during that whole island fiasco (I mean, besides the obvious), it would be messing with Judai with Sho _right there_. He got this crazed look in his eyes and charged me like a wild bull! The way he was acting, I couldn't help but wonder if he had some sort of mental condition. The only thing was, I couldn't think of what kind of condition would cause such behavior.

Especially when he literally roared at me.

No doubt about it: Sho was acting like a crazed lunatic, a wild animal. Maybe even like that Hulk, a totally normal and gentle person until he was angered. For some reason, this got me thinking about something my mother had always said: some people go crazy on a full moon. Wasn't there supposed to be one of those tonight?

I had never put any stock in my mother's silly superstitions, thought now I had to wonder.

As if to prove that he were a werewolf or something, Sho bit me and wouldn't let go, chomping down as hard as he could on my shoulder.

"HEY!" I cried, and reflexively, my grip on Judai tightened.

"Agh! Hey, get off! _Both_ of you!"

Sho's response to this was to start scratching me, still digging in with his teeth. Suddenly I was very much wondering if he weren't a werewolf. He let go of my shoulder and, in a deep, growling sort of way, roared, "LET GO! HE'S MINE!"

He continued with his attack then, biting me in various places and clawing at my eyes. Fortunately he missed his mark there every time. His teeth were far more dangerous than his "claws." He kept growling and hissing like a wild animal the entire time.

"Are you two dating!?" I shrieked. Sho's possessiveness made a girl wonder, after all.

Judai's eyes widened, effectively answering my question. "AI! _What_ are you _thinking_!?"

We continued on like that, with Sho the wild dog biting me anywhere he could reach.

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

Oh, do I _have_ to comment on this part? I'd rather wipe it from my memory, thanks very much! And Fuyuko thought _my_ adventures were bad! At least I didn't have a rabid dog for a friend! Just a cat yokai. No biggie, since he was friendly.

Aw, well, let's get this over with. Fortunately for Judai and Ai but very _un_ fortunately for my new wife and me, we just happened to be walking toward the resort at that moment, with me taking my new wife home and Fuyuko tagging along to "babysit," as he put it. Of course, when we found the insanity, we all three stopped and stared.

Lisa's eyes were wide with shock, and she pointed at the trio wrestling on the beach, from which the sounds of screaming, choking, and growling were coming. "W-what!? Natsu, what's going on!?" she demanded, her irises the size of pinheads.

I really couldn't blame her, though. My eyes bugged out of my head, and so did Fuyuko's, although he covered his face with his hand after a moment, as if this were a normal but irritating part of his daily life.

What we saw was a three-person pileup. Judai, Ai, and Sho were all standing there—well, okay, Judai and Ai were standing, Sho was...kinda hanging. Ai was the source of the screaming—she was squeezing the life out of Judai, thus resulting in the gagging sounds we were hearing. And why was she doing all of this? Why, that's a silly question! It was because Mad Dog Sho was climbing all over, biting and scratching and growling. Fortunately, he was only hitting Ai. _Un_ fortunately, this seemed to be _causing_ Ai to hold on tighter, even though I'm sure Sho's goal was to get her _off_ his friend.

You know those werewolf things you sometimes hear about from some cultures? Yeah, I couldn't help but wonder if they were real. I mean, I used to think these sorts of things were all myths and stories, until my cat turned into a nekomata. Now, I'd believe just about anything you told me.

But, back to the matter at hand! In answer to my wife, I just blinked and said, "Uh, good question..."

The poor woman looked like an actress in a horror movie right then. You know, one of the ones who plays a girl who you just _know_ is never gonna live to see the end? Her knees were knocking together, her hands covering her mouth. Seems my brave new wife still had her limits. I mean, she'd barely been phased when I told her Judai's story or when Sho had attacked Ai the first time.

The first to recover, as always, Fuyuko ran over and pulled Sho off Ai, which jolted me into action. Moments after Sho was in Fuyu's arms, I had Ai off of Judai.

Sho, wide-eyed, started flailing, shrieking, "LET ME AT HER! LET ME AT HER! LET ME AT HER!"

He kept that up until Fuyuko jabbed a hypodermic needle into his arm, seemingly unfazed by this behavior. Geez, dude, I knew you were a cool cat, but I had _no idea_ just how much it would take to really make you lose your cool! One of these days, I'd have to test the limits. Surely me getting married drunk and unexpectedly wasn't the _only_ way to make you flip your lid.

"LET ME—" Sho started, but he was cut off when whatever was in that needle took affect. He froze, blinked, and went limp.

A tranquilizer. Good thinking. Always want to have one of those handy when dealing with wild animals.

Lisa came running to the two victims as I let go of Ai, who fell to the ground. My new wife was concerned. I mean, obviously. She was a very caring young lady.

Me, I couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with Sho. Every time I saw him, the guy went nuts. I don't know what kind of meds he was supposed to be taking, but I didn't think it was a good idea for him to be _off_ them, which he clearly was.

"Is everyone alright!?" Lisa asked. "What on Earth _was_ that!?" She went to check on Ai, who was bleeding from several bite wounds. Lisa knelt down, took one of her arms, and started to examine it. The worst of the bites _did_ look like they were there.

Judai, meanwhile, was just trying to catch his breath, a hand to his throat. From the look on his face, he was adjusting to the idea that a woman could squeeze so hard just because she was scared.

"Ow, he _bit_ me! Does he have rabies!?" Ai demanded.

I thought that was a damn good question!

Lisa let go of Ai's arm, looking a bit surprised and more concerned, then moved on to examining her other arm. From her expression, that one was in better shape.

How badly _had_ Sho gotten Ai? Hopefully it wasn't as bad as it looked. After all, she was a princess—he could end up in serious trouble. On the other hand, she might just call the psych ward. That one wouldn't be so bad, but the first would be an utter disaster.

I hoped Ai was in a forgiving and understanding mood.

"You...you're insane..." Judai breathed. "Totally...insane..."

"But so's he! I wouldn't have... Hey, are you okay?"

With those last words, Ai pulled away from Lisa, moving to check on Judai. She got to her feet, leaving Lisa on the ground. Lisa seemed startled, and she looked like she thought Ai should seek medical attention, pronto. I couldn't argue that point—after all, Ai _was_ dripping blood all over the sand.

"You were choking me!" Judai said, backing away from Ai a step.

"Well, I wouldn't have been if your friend hadn't been attacking me!"

I didn't want to know. I _really_ didn't want to know. I wanted to get the hell away from Sho as fast as humanly possible and get back to my nice, normal life. You know, the one that didn't have werewolves and crazy princesses.

"This whole thing's weird," I said. "How about you go get those...bites...treated, we'll get Sho back to where he's staying, and Judai...can find somewhere to stay."

It wasn't like he was going anywhere, after all. The barrier had shrunk again.

"Guess it _is_ true," said my American wife, looking up at the sunny sky in awe. "Some people really _do_ go crazy on a full moon."

I'd have to ask about that later. That, and point out that Sho was just plain crazy.

"Hey!" Ai started. Then she winced and said, "Ugh, yeah, okay. I'm going to the _hospital._ " And, with that, she was gone, folks! Great, _one_ piece of weirdness had left.

Still, I couldn't help but worry, and let me list all the things I was worried about just so you know why! First of all, Sho had attacked Ai really badly, and Johan had to leave after he'd threatened to strangle her. What would happen to Sho after he'd done so much worse? Second, Sho was _completely insane_! What the fuck was the _matter_ with that little lunatic!? I made a mental note to tell my manager to refuse all duels with anybody by the name of Sho Marufuji. Third, it had almost looked like Ai had just tried to kidnap Judai, so leaving him alone seemed like a bad idea. And, fourth, Ai had just strangled him! And he was stuck here on the beach, without even any access to _ice_ , for Pete's sake! Undoubtedly his neck was sore, and I was willing to bet it would swell up here soon, but there wasn't anything the guy could do about it!

What was I gonna do about _any_ of this mess?

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Fuyuko, Natsuko, your timing couldn't have been any better. Well, unless you'd shown up about two minutes earlier. Oh, well, at least Ai was off my case—for now.

Lisa's eyes widened in surprise as Ai left. I couldn't blame her—it wasn't like she had a clue what was going on here, and she'd just seen something so violent that most people would have called the police. Wait, what did I just say? Oh, man, I hoped she wouldn't do anything like that!

"But, wait," she said, getting to her feet. "Shouldn't he go with her? Those marks..."

She was obviously talking about me, and, when she reached toward me with concern, all I was wondering was _why_ she seemed so calm. Maybe she knew more than I thought she did.

"I'm fine," I said. Silently, I added, _Can't go anywhere anyway..._

Maybe being trapped on the beach wasn't such a bad thing. At least nobody could force me to get in bed and stay there when I wasn't nearly that bad off if there _wasn't_ a bed around.

Lisa's eyes widened in shock, and she gestured at my bruised neck, looking more concerned. "B-but look at these! Surely you agree. Right, Natsu?" She turned to look at him.

He looked at my neck for a moment, then, apparently trying to appease Lisa, said, "Good point. You should probably get those looked at."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Fuyuko started walking off, taking Sho with him. I could only assume he was heading for the hospital since he was heading toward town.

Natsuko stared at me for a moment, seemingly feeling awkward. Finally he said, "I guess we should...get going, then."

Lisa glared at him, apparently unable to believe that he'd just leave me there. I couldn't help but think Natsuko had lucked out with this one. She was so kind, even caring about strangers and people who seemed to be causing nothing but trouble. "J-just a minute, now! We can't leave him like this! We should—"

There wasn't any point in them fighting over me—I wouldn't be going anywhere, even if I wanted to. "I'm fine," I said, wanting to stop this before it went any further. I didn't need to be their first fight, after all. "Don't worry about it."

Lisa looked back at me with concern.

Natsuko took her arm, making her look back at him. "Come on, hon," he said. "He's tougher than he looks. He'll be fine."

So saying, he steered her away. She looked back once more, still looking concerned, but she didn't fight him.

Good, now I could figure out a way to deal with my mounting problems. Namely, finding shelter, dealing with the bruising, and worrying about Sho becoming Misgarth's most wanted.


	25. A House and Unwanted Attention

**Shadgirl2: Sorry about how long this took. A lot's been going on lately.**

 **Midna: We're working on getting these stories finished. None have been abandoned. It's just taking forever to get them done, given what's going on and how long it's been since any of them were updated.**

 **Shadgirl2: Yeah, no joke. A Second Chance should be getting updated soon, too.**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Yubel appeared beside me, looking concerned. Well, in a Yubel way, she looked concerned. _"Are you okay, seriously? That was insane back there, and you know it, too."_

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, rubbing my neck. Dang, it hurt, though. That woman was _strong_. "Geez, she's got a tight grip."

 _"_ So, _you worried about her now, then? Maybe Manjoume_ was _right. With a grip like that, it's only a matter of time before—"_

I cut her off—I didn't want to hear that. Seriously, why would I _want_ to hear that? "I'll be fine. I could have fought her off if I'd tried."

Yubel looked a bit annoyed with me, but what else was knew? She always gave me that look when she thought I was being an idiot, after all. _"Then why didn't you? Could have saved you all the trouble, maybe. Sho would've calmed down better with_ you _helping, at least."_

Fubuki saved me from having to come up with an answer to that. That's about the time he—along with most of my other friends who were still around—came over from town, carrying a bunch of supplies. Timber, bags of cement, hammers and nails... The list just went on.

Fubuki walked right up to me, looking about as cheerful as ever. If he wasn't carrying three planks of wood, he might have waved. "Fubuki's Construction Service, at your service," he said. "Someone call for a house delivery?"

The others went and put their stuff down, Kenzan dropping a lot of timber near me. Fubuki added his to the pile. Manjoume was going over blueprints, from the look of things, and trying to map out their construction area. Asuka had a bucket that looked like it was full of nails, which she put down to come and check on me. Heck, even Akiko was helping, carrying some tool kits.

So there was only one thing I was wondering—why were my friends planning on building a house on the middle of the beach? I mean, based on a brief glimpse of Manjoume's blueprints, they were building a full-size house! Really, if this was supposed to be to help me, all they really needed to do was bring out a tent or something. I didn't plan on _living_ here! How long were they thinking it was gonna take to stop Ai!?

"I didn't ask for help with that," I told Fubuki, hoping to stop this crazy project. "I just wanted to make sure Asuka didn't get killed by Ai or something."

While I was talking, Manjoume folded up his blueprints, gave them to Fubuki, and started doing manual labor, picking up a piece of wood from beside me. _Manjoume_ doing _manual labor_? Since when did he _ever_ do that? For _anyone_!? If this house was for me, that spoke volumes about Manjoume's feelings for me. Well, it was good to see proof right in front of me that he cared, at least, even if I _didn't_ need a house on the beach.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Manjoume said as he worked. "Shut up and move. You're in the way, you idiot." He shoved me aside, then jammed his wood into the ground right where I had been standing. "Hey! Someone give me one of those hammers and hold this dumb thing!"

Akiko came over and did that, and the others besides Asuka started putting wood of their own out to mark the perimeter. Based on the spacing, I could already tell that, unless Manjoume had designed it, it was too big to just be a "grass hut," as Manjoume had suggested. It might make sense, if Manjoume were designing the hut, though. Big and fancy were his two favorite words.

Asuka looked at me then and gasped, her eyes widening in concern. Aw, crap, what was she worried about? I _hate_ making people worry about me! "Judai!" she exclaimed. "What happened to you!?"

She ran over to check on me, reaching for my shirt collar. Oh, whoops. Guess it was showing.

I turned my attention to the men at work, hoping that ignoring Asuka would get her to stop, and said, "I'm not living in a hut on the beach! Ai's gonna find that as easily as if I had a tracker on my neck."

Manjoume looked at me and asked, "So? Who said that's what we were building? You need to pay more attention. Geez."

And he went back to work, using both hands to hold the hammer he was beating his wood into the ground with. Well, that made sense. Manjoume had probably never held a hammer in his life. After all, he didn't do manual labor. I should probably also point out that he was the only one who needed somebody to hold it for him. Everyone else was doing this by themselves. Even if some of them _were_ doing it poorly...

Fubuki finished with his, after having hit himself about five times. He turned to me, spreading his arms wide with excitement. "We're building a dream house! You know, for Natsuko to live in until he can get a real job to support Lisa with! Didn't you know they got married?"

While he was talking, Akiko finished with Manjoume and moved to fix Fubuki's work. Kenzan had finished and was going for more wood, Manjoume checked his blueprints again, and Asuka grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer gently.

Kenzan walked by with another plank of wood, saying, "And, besides. You're gonna need _some_ place to spend the night, right!? So, while it's under construction, you can crash in here! Everybody wins! Right?"

He walked over to the last corner (they'd only gotten three before) and got to work, doing the same thing. Manjoume, meanwhile, went to the center of the square with another piece of wood and seemed to need help again. Well, good thing Akiko had finished fixing _Fubuki's_ work. Now she was free to help the helpless!

Asuka pulled down the neck of my shirt a bit as Akiko helped Manjoume again. I decided not to acknowledge the concern that crossed her face when she saw my neck. It couldn't be that bad, after all. Besides, this was weird, and I had to figure out just what the hell these guys were doing.

I just stared at the workers for a minute, then pointed out, "I'm gonna find somewhere I can stay that Ai's not gonna find me. And why are you building Natsuko a house? Doesn't he have one?"

Seriously, they weren't making any sense.

* * *

 **Fubuki's POV**

Well, it figured he'd ask that. Why wouldn't he? After all, Natsuko lived in Japan—surprisingly close to my bachelor pad, I might add—and had a decent job and about two dozen applications to Pro League dueling sponsors. Incidentally, his deck was downright _sexy_! And deadly! I am never underestimating female Duel Monsters ever again! His are so fierce, even _I_ wanted to use women now!

Anyway, the point was, he had what he needed to support his new wife, so explaining this was kind of difficult, especially with this being my family's island... Now that I thought about it, that sounded bad. Natsuko was going to be _living_ on someone else's property instead of getting a place of his own. Well, with that in mind, naturally I felt really awkward. I rubbed the back of my head and shrugged, grinning awkwardly. Gee, Judai, did you have to make sense?

"Well, he, uh... No?" I said.

There. That should work...with some liberal amounts of cock and bull, anyway! Judai was dumb enough to believe just about anything, as long as your acting was good enough! Why, there were some days when he didn't even know which way was up! Speaking of, I wondered if he ever figured out what "fiance" means?

Before I could really ponder that, Akiko showed me her proof that she and Natsu were related: naivete. It was so bad, I cringed after just the first three words!

"He _has_ a place to stay," she said. "He's got an apartment in Japan, and he has a job. He's also working on finding a Pro League sponsor."

No doubt about it, Akiko was naive. How was I ever going to convince Judai that the place wasn't for him with her spouting stuff like that? No doubt about it, I had to address that one.

I laughed, sweating, and closed my eyes. "'Scuse me," I said before grabbing Akiko's arm and dragging her off a little ways to talk about the plan again. After all, she clearly didn't get it. I clapped my hands together once we had some distance and said, "Ahem. Listen, sweetheart. We're using that excuse as a cover-up so that even Ai won't know what we're really doing, so, if you could just go along with it, that'd be great, 'kay?"

"Like she's gonna buy it," Akiko answered.

The construction crew I'd called showed up about then. After all, you can't _really_ build a guy's dream vacation destination without the right kind of help! I knew they were there because Kenzan called, "Yo! Fubuki! The builders are here! Should I show them the blueprints!?"

"Yeah, go ahead!" I called in answer. "But remember! Explain the honeymoon suite in _great_ detail! We don't want that private Jacuzzi ending up in the wrong place, okay!?"

Ah, yes, a honeymoon destination for my dear friend. On a lovely, sunny beach, by the clear blue sea. What could be better than that? Natsuko was going to love this place. What a great wedding present I had created!

"Right! I'm on it!" Kenzan said before getting the blueprints from Manjoume.

Judai took in the situation. "Okay, this is weird..."

I looked at him, noticing he looked disturbed. Great! Maybe he'd buy it, after all! That is, if Akiko could shut up and play nice for once. … Yeah, we were doomed.

I looked back to Akiko, grinning. Hey, it was still worth a try, even if it was probably doomed to failure. After all, this house _was_ for Natsuko now, whether Judai got saved or not! "So? Think she'll buy it now?" I asked.

"Whatev," Akiko answered, rolling her eyes.

Oh, that was such a relief! Maybe she wasn't so bad, after all! I clapped my hands together again, grinning even wider. "Great!" Then I got serious and pointed back to Judai. Hey, Ai was no laughing matter, and Judai needed to buy this if Ai was ever going to. Really, Akiko could stand to learn a thing or two about being sneaky. Considering what Natsuko said she does for a living, she sure was new at this. "Then go cover up what you just said, okay? I'm gonna go find Natsuko and Lisa and fill them in, too."

Whistling, I headed for the resort. Surely Akiko could fix things from here. She'd have to, anyway, because Natsuko needed to know about the surprise! This was really exciting news, and I couldn't wait to tell him! Hey! Maybe he'd be at the resort and Ai would hear it, too! I could kill two birds with one stone that way!

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Well, when Fubuki left, Akiko came walking back over, looking bored. Seriously? They're building a house on the beach, and she's _bored_? What was her _deal_?

"Apparently they're going on a honeymoon here. That, or my stupid brother is moving to this island..." She shrugged and added, "Not like I know what he's doing. Ever."

...Okay, this wasn't making a lot of sense, but it wasn't like it was a big deal. I mean, if they wanted to say Natsuko needed a house on Fubuki's family's beach, who was I to argue?

Giving up, I said, "Whatever."

* * *

 **Asuka's POV**

"Okay? You done worrying about this house yet? Ready to tell me what happened?" I asked Judai, a bit annoyed. He'd been ignoring me, after all.

 _Seriously_. Why did Judai always have to act like that? His neck was a mess, ringed with bruises and some small cuts, and all he cared about was this _stupid_ idea the boys had come up with? In all seriousness, why would Ai buy this? And how on Earth was it going to help Judai? Were _any_ of the guys I hung out with smarter than kindergartners? _Judai_ was bad enough! Did I really need more fools?

And, speaking of, fool _numero uno_ was at it again! His answer was nothing but annoying. "What?" he asked, finally looking at me.

Apparently Judai was completely blind to his own problems right then! Had he even noticed his neck was hurt, or was this like third year when he ran out of the infirmary after suffering from extreme exhaustion the night before? What was _wrong_ with that guy?

I pointed at his neck in annoyance, glaring at him. "What happened to your neck? It looks terrible! Don't tell me you didn't even notice!"

He blinked, his eyes widening slightly afterward. Then he waved it off, his expression returning to normal, as he said, "Oh. That. Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

And there he goes again! Honestly, taking care of Judai was like a wife having to _raise_ her husband. He did a _terrible_ job of taking care of himself, so everyone else had to do it! Well, since Judai clearly needed a _mother_ right about then, I looked at him firmly, crossing my arms. Seriously, that stubbornness of his had to go. It was driving me nuts.

"Judai," I said sternly.

He looked a bit uncomfortable before he reluctantly answered, "I... Sho and Ai had a wrestling match. On me."

I started, my eyes widening in shock. _Ai_ and _Sho_ were _wrestling_ on him!? Whatever for!? Sure, they were both bad whenever Judai was involved, but I never imagined they were _that_ bad! Okay, Sho could be at times if he didn't have his stuff, but Ai, too!? What, was Judai trying to say that Ai was a monster also!? What could be _wrong_ with people that would make _everyone_ rabid on full moons, anyway!? I was definitely planning on looking into that urban legend about crazy people coming out on full moons. Clearly there was something to it, and I should be more careful! Judai's condition was mild, compared to the television stories, after all.

"W-what!?" I stammered. "Judai, are you okay!?"

Now more worried than before, I rushed to grab Judai and immediately started checking for more injuries. After all, the news often said the emergency rooms in a ton of hospitals were _overcrowded_ on full moons, and a wrestling match on _Judai_? You tell _me_ what that could mean!

I started my frantic search by patting him down, as if I were checking him for weapons. Nothing perverted. I still had a boyfriend, after all. If Judai flinched, winced, or cringed, then I'd take a closer look, but _only_ to see how bad it was. Call me his personal nurse. I had a boyfriend.

He grabbed my arms, trying to calm me down. Not that it stopped me. I kept going, whether he was holding on or not. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

Oh, yeah! With an answer like that, Judai _had_ to be hiding _something_. Judai _never_ told the truth when he was injured because he was too stupid to care! I was going to search _every inch_ of him now, for sure!

My answer was to pull loose of his grip and grin at him sarcastically. Hey, if he was going to act like a little kid, he was going to get treated like one.

Meanwhile, the boys started helping the professionals build the house. Not that I really cared about that. All that mattered to me just then was that _child_ I called a friend.

"Uh-huh. Yeah, sure, it isn't," I said.

Having finished patting him down, I reached under his shirt, lifting it up so I could see better. Just because he hadn't reacted didn't mean there was nothing there.

He started, apparently surprised. "Hey! Those are all the bruises I've got!"

I grinned. Judai could sure lie with the best of them, couldn't he? Well, so far, he seemed truthful since neither his front nor back seemed to be hurt any, I realized as I leaned around to check that while he freaked out on me. Seriously, who did he think I was? Ai?

Seeing nothing there, either, I let go of his shirt and took hold of his right leg, saying, "Sure, Judai. Whatever you say." I lifted the leg of his pants to check his legs for any injuries.

Judai pulled his shirt back down, sounding annoyed as he stood on one leg and said, "Asuka! It was only my neck she bruised!"

As he was doing that, I checked his other leg, whether he liked it or not. His track record with health care wasn't very good, after all. After Camula had put him in the infirmary, he wouldn't stay in bed. Then there was the extreme exhaustion debacle. Repeatedly. And last night's cold... Really?

Tired of his attitude, I gave my 24-year-old _son_ a stern attitude to shut him up and settle him down. Honestly, Judai. Sometimes you're just too much. I glared at him sternly and snapped, "Just hold still, alright!"

With those words, I let go of his second, uninjured leg and firmly grabbed his left arm, pulling his shirt sleeve all the way up to get a better look. After all, the arms were the most likely places I'd find more injuries since he was probably wrestling with them, too, trying to get them off.

Judai just stood there, looking annoyed, and let me get on with it. Good. _Finally_ some cooperation! Now, maybe, I could take care of him and get those wounds treated. Why did Judai always have to be so difficult? He wasn't much better last night, either. You know, when I offered him my bed and he wouldn't take it? Judai Yuki was _such_ a handful sometimes.

Without further interruption, I checked everything I could—his feet, hands, got a closer look at his torso now that he was actually _letting_ me—and soon there were only a couple of spots left to search. Spots I would really much rather _not_ have to look at myself. I wasn't as perverted as _Ai_ , after all. I stepped back, trying to figure out how to check the rest of him without looking like a pervert. Sure, _most_ of him was fine, but you never know. Ai was one of his attackers, after all.

I crossed my arms, concerned. "Well, most of you's okay, but..." I turned to the boys. They were busy mixing cement and hammering wood together.

Seriously, though, a _house_? On the beach? What were those idiots thinking, anyway? This was never going to work, especially if they _used_ that cement. It would be wet for hours past sundown! Judai couldn't lie down in wet cement, after all, so what was the point?

I called the the house-building idiots, hoping one of them would be willing to help me out. Judai needed checked right away, after all, all things considered. "Hey! Anyone wanna give Judai here a _thorough_ check-up!? He said that Ai and Sho had a wrestling match on him!"

Kenzan dropped a bag of cement he'd been carrying and turned to us, shocked. "W-what'd you say!?" he asked. He walked over looking worried. And he should be! Judai was hurt, after all. Stupid Ai and that dumb werewolf Sho! What the hell were they thinking? You just don't _do_ that stuff!

Judai threw his arms up in exasperation and said, "All that happened is that Ai wrapped her arms around my neck, Sho attacked her, and she squeezed tighter! Okay? It's not a big deal."

Not a big deal, he said. That _sounded_ like a big deal to me! That, and the rings around his neck and drying blood from where her nails _clearly_ dug into his skin was proof enough for me! What was _wrong_ with this guy? Calling injuries that would land most people in a doctor's office or hospital waiting room "no big deal?" Really? Did Judai even _know_ how to care for himself? 'Cause that was just ridiculous!

Kenzan seemed to agree with me because he looked at Judai, concern lacing his tone as he said, "You sure?"

I moved to grab Judai from behind as I called to the others, "Hey! Someone go find Kyle and tell him we need that first aid kit over here! I'll keep an eye on this stubborn man for now, okay!?" I put my hands on him firmly, giving him a stern look once again. Like I said before, if Judai was gonna act like a toddler, he was gonna get treated like one.

"Right! I'm on it!" Kenzan said before running off to get Kyle.

You might be wondering why I wanted Kyle to get the first aid kit. Well, that was simple: It was his. Kyle was the one who brought it, thinking we should have it, just in case. I was so glad he did that, too. After all, Judai couldn't get to the island's local hospital now, being stuck on the beach by Ai. Good old Kyle! He was ready for anything.

I pulled Judai down to the ground, sitting behind him with my legs folded beneath me, as I said, "Now, sit. You shouldn't be standing after an ordeal like that." I gripped his shoulders firmly to hold him there so he couldn't get up and make things worse. I'm sure I don't need to remind you _why_. Judai's stubborn, after all.

When I said that, I spoke to him firmly, the way a mother might speak to her disobedient son. Seriously, when had I adopted a child? And did it really have to be one of my same-age friends? For crying out loud, this was so wrong!

Judai tossed his head, annoyed, rolling his eyes once again. I leaned my head to the side to avoid getting hit. I'd seen that coming. Judai was throwing a tantrum, after all. "Oh, come on! I'm fine! It's a turtleneck, anyway! How do you people keep seeing those bruises!?"

In the background, the construction crew and our other friends were building a base for their cement. I supposed they were getting ready to build that first room of that dumb thing... Sheesh. I pushed that aside, more worried about Judai's condition.

"It's not the bruises I saw at first, it's the tiny trickles of blood coming from the spots where she dug her fingernails into you," I said to the brunette. "I only noticed the bruises _after_ I examined your neck. Now quit being so stubborn and take it easy until we get you treated, okay?" I ended that sternly. In a mutter, I added, "Sheesh. You and injuries. They never mix well."

Seriously, though. Raising Judai was just too much. Couldn't someone else do it already? _Anyone_ else?

He sounded startled. "Wait, I'm bleeding?"

Good old Judai. As usual, his idiocy knew no bounds. Did he mean to tell me he didn't even _notice_ the cuts on his neck? But, the last time I checked, cuts _feel_ different from bruises, didn't they? One had more of a stinging sensation, the other throbbed?

Well, since he clearly didn't have any clue what his body was doing right then, I decided to humor him and tell him what his _full_ condition was. Seriously, though, how could he miss something like that? I was definitely taking him to see someone about this later. There was no way this was healthy.

"Yes," I answered. "Just a little, though. It's mostly stopped now. It's the bruises I'm worried about. _They're_ bad and _need_ to be treated ASAP. Not that you'd notice that, all things considered."

When I finished, my annoyance slipped into my tone. I thought back to Camula and the incident with Darkness and my brother right before that. Darkness had hurt the both of them pretty badly, and Judai couldn't even stay awake for the next couple of days because of it. He was in a world of pain when he moved anytime he _was_ awake, and he kept _insisting_ on running off and helping, anyway! Who _did_ stuff like that? Then I thought about the Des Duels... Geez, Judai, what was _wrong_ with you!?

He looked at me, looking surprised, but he also looked like he understood my concern now. "...If I say I'll stay still, will you get off me?" he asked.

Before I could answer, Fubuki, Kyle, Kenzan, and Natsuko all came over. Fubuki was carrying Judai's missing clothing items, and Kyle had his first aid kit. As expected, he looked concerned, even though he barely knew Judai. He was such a caring guy.

Fubuki glanced at Judai for a moment, then, looking relieved, he turned his attention to the construction site, grinning. Of course he would. It was _his_ dumb idea, after all. Even if Manjoume _had_ backed him up on it a ton. The two fools in question had convinced everyone else present to go along with this, after all, even if Ryo _was_ smart enough not to get involved.

Kenzan stood back a bit, looking concerned, but Natsuko was totally focused on his excitement. Well, he didn't really know Judai, so it made sense he wouldn't care. He had his own problems, after all. Like getting married to a girl he didn't even know... Suddenly taking care of Judai didn't seem so bad after all...

"How is he?" Kyle asked, kneeling in front of Judai to get a better look. "Has his condition changed any?" He reached a hand toward Judai's shirt collar. Judai raised a hand and swatted Kyle's away.

Okay, I take it back. I'm not sure _which_ is worse! A man getting married to a woman he barely knows; or a stubborn, injured, baby of a man who not only couldn't care for himself but wouldn't let others help, either. Really, Judai, where were you raised?

I answered poor Kyle, still holding onto his soon-to-be unwilling patient, Judai. My boyfriend had no idea _what_ he was dealing with. "No. It's about the same. Well, other than how much complaining he's doing, that is." I leaned over Judai's shoulder, looking at him with a grin. Sure, this was annoying, but it was also kind of cute. Judai's childish antics always had been, after all.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, pinning his arms down, so Kyle could look at him. With my help, Kyle got a good look at those bruises and cuts.

As he opened his first aid kid, Judai said, "Yeah, well, that's a good sign, isn't it?"

He sounded a bit annoyed with me, but what else was new. Judai _always_ gets that way when someone tries taking care of him.

Natsuko looked over at his "dream house" being built, but that still wasn't my problem. Those idiots could take care of themselves. I was too busy playing nurse to care right then, anyway. Dr. Kyle needed all the help he could get, after all.

Kyle poured some alcohol onto a cloth and reached for Judai's neck again, smiling. "Promise you won't hurt me?" he teased lightly.

With how Judai was acting, I thought that was a good concern. No one treated Judai Yuki without some issues, after all. Myself included just minutes before. Need I say more?

Judai rolled his eyes but otherwise didn't give Kyle any grief. I figured it was probably because I was still holding him. He couldn't cause any trouble if he couldn't move, after all. "Ha ha, you're hilarious," he said, a lame look on his face.

Kyle closed his eyes, grinning. He could be such a joker sometimes. "Thank you, thank you." He opened his eyes, moving closer and looking more calm and focused. He reached one hand up to grab Judai's collar and pull it down and moved the other toward his neck to clean the wounds as he said, "Now, seriously, hold still. This may sting a bit."

He started cleaning the wounds, stopping the flow of blood from those few that still _had_ a flow of blood. Fortunately Judai was letting him do it without further trouble. Good! It wouldn't be long now until he was all patched up and _really_ fine. That was, if he took care of himself from then on. Really, Judai, you're just too much sometimes.

* * *

 **Natsuko's POV**

Okay, this was sweet! My buddy Fubuki was building me a vacation house for me on the beach! Sure, I hadn't _planned_ on getting married during this trip, but at least Lisa was nice and the gifts were great!

Don't get the wrong idea, though. Fubuki _had_ told me the other reason they were building this thing—to give Judai a place to rest and hide from Ai. But he _did_ promise the house to me when it was finished to use as I pleased! But, besides that, Judai needed a safe place to go. He was stuck on this beach, after all, and there weren't exactly any places he could go to hide or even for shelter around here. Fubuki said that some parts were going to be intentionally left unfinished for awhile so Judai'd have a place to sleep, and they'd cover the thing over with a tarp at night until the first room was built so there'd be a sort of roof over Judai's head. Basically, there was going to be one area that was just a wooden frame with no cement poured into it until they were sure there was another spot Judai could crash in this construction site. I mean, sure, a construction site wasn't the _safest_ place in the world to sleep, but it was better than being out in the open where Ai could easily find him.

Either way, I was getting a house on the beach! For free! This was dope, man! Totally sick!

Checking out what would soon be my sweet vacation pad, I couldn't help but notice that he'd hired professionals _while_ still having his friends and my baby sis involved. It didn't surprise me much to see my sis doing well with this all on her own. After all, she was a tough girl. What _did_ surprise me was the rich Manjoume building a house. I'd heard from Fubuki that he was so lazy, he wouldn't even help repaint the dorm he was supposed to be living in, choosing instead to move back to the Red Dorm so he could avoid the work. Guess coming up with a place for Judai to sleep was way too important not to help with.

"You're building me a house, huh? Sweet!" I said, voicing my thoughts on this whole thing.

Fubuki looked at me, totally excited. "Uh-huh!" He raised his arms into the air and closed his eyes, smiling wide. "Now you guys can vacation here, too, whenever you like!"

Yeah, dude! That's what I'm talking about! Me and Fubuki, rocking the beach together whenever we decided to vacay together!

"Sweet! Thanks, dude!"

Fubuki turned back to me and said, "Hey, it's the least I can do to congratulate you and the missus on your newly-found love!" He gave a thumbs up and a wink, adding, "Consider this my wedding present to you!" He threw his excited arms up again. "Congratulations, bro! I wish you both many years filled with love and joy. You're a great couple, really." He gave me a warm and reassuring smile. Made sense, considering the...circumstances of my wedding.

Man, what the hell was I thinking? Well, at least I had a supportive friend like Fubuki to help me deal with my own stupidity. I...kinda think I'd gone too far for Fuyuko this time. He was seriously pissed at me, after all. But, hey, at least Buki was there!

"Gee, thanks," I said.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Stupid Kyle... Of _course_ he was _great_ at first aid! Why wouldn't he be? He was great at _everything_ , after all! So of _course_ the stupid guy would be the one treating my stupid wounds and stupid injuries.

He finished cleaning those dumb cuts and pulled out a bag of ice that I guess he'd gotten from the hotel and wrapped some of it up in a beach towel. Fortunately, by this point, Asuka had decided to let go of me because I was letting her stupid boyfriend do his _job_. Seriously, this was annoying.

 _Kyle_ put his homemade ice pack around my neck and held it in place. Ugh, seriously? Get the hell away from me, creep!

Apparently he noticed my bad mood because he looked at me with some concern before grinning as he adjusted his ice pack. "You okay, Judai? It doesn't really hurt _that_ badly, does it?"

Why, you lousy...

"I'm fine," I said.

Kyle smiled again, ignoring my attitude. Probably Asuka _told_ him I act like a baby when medical care's involved! Seriously, I didn't need her _babying_ me. It wasn't that bad, damn it! I could take care of myself, after all!

Granted, if Kyle thought I was just in a bad mood because I was being taken care of, maybe he wouldn't realize that I didn't exactly like him. So, maybe it was a good thing he thought I just didn't like medical treatment?

"Good. Then why don't you hold onto this?" Kyle said, grinning at me. "We do look a little awkward right now, after all."

Oh, that stupid... _I_ knew what he was implying, and there wasn't a chance of a snowball in Hell of _that_ being a misunderstanding that _anybody_ with _brains_ would make! I couldn't _stand_ this guy! Why would I be doing _anything_ with him, let alone something like _that_!? I didn't have any romantic feelings for the creep! Just because he was right up in my face did _not_ mean there was anything going on!

Asuka, apparently, thought it was hilarious. She stifled a laugh at Kyle's dumb comment. How the actual _hell_ was this funny!? If she _knew_ how I felt about her stupid boyfriend, she wouldn't have been laughing!

Kyle grinned at her, looking a bit sheepish. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, dear. Better watch it, or I'm coming after you next."

Through her laughter, Asuka answered, "Th-that's okay. I th-think I-I'm go-good, guys." And she giggled some more.

Seriously? Was this somehow the funniest thing she had ever seen? She'd watched me duel a monkey and kept a straight face, but another guy and me in an awkward position was _hilarious_? Also, _dear_!?

"Oh, give me a break..." I muttered, annoyed at them both—Asuka for laughing and stupid, perfect _Kyle_ for using lame pet names.

Kyle took my hand and put it on the towel, indicating that I should take it from here. "Got it, Judai?" he asked.

"Yeah, I got it," I said, still irritated at him.

Kyle let go, saying, "Good." He closed his eyes, grinning, and stood up before straightening his tie.

And people thought _I_ wasn't dressed for the weather. This punk was wearing a white suit and a stinking _tie_ , as if he was going to some business meeting instead of doing first aid on the beach. I mean, I know Ed always wore a suit and tie wherever he went, but how many people _did_ that!? I figured Ed would have enough _sense_ to wear something different if he planned on taking a tropical vacation, at least, but _Kyle_ was wearing a suit every stinking time I saw him. Did the guy _own_ any other kind of clothes!?

"Now, then..." He walked over to Asuka, who was sitting nearby, and started tickling her.

Asuka laughed a whole lot more, waving her arms and legs around. "H-hey, Kyle! Cut it out!" she said through her laughter.

He didn't. He just kept going, grinning playfully. "I said I was gonna get you next, didn't I?"

Asuka kept laughing, apparently _enjoying_ herself. "Alright, alright! I give! I'm sorry!"

Lucky punk... I scowled, wishing Asuka wasn't dating that dumb guy. Why'd they have to rub their stupid relationship in my face, anyway?

In the background, I heard Manjoume shout out something that covered my feelings pretty well right about then, although he was doing it because Fubuki had, apparently, dropped something on his foot.

Kyle knocked it off, and Asuka gave him a playful shove, grinning. "Kyle, you're such a clown sometimes!" she laughed.

He shrugged, his eyes closed and a grin on his stupid face. Then he came back over to me. Great. Just what I needed. More time with _perfect_ Kyle. Kneeling in front of me, he asked, "So? Has the swelling gone down any?"

"Don't know. I can't see my neck," I answered, not in the mood for him. I didn't even care that I was glaring at him right then. He sucked.

Kyle raised an eyebrow, apparently concerned. Asuka looked at me in the same way. Apparently they didn't understand what my attitude was about.

"...Okay?" Kyle said, brushing it off as he reached for my neck again, one hand aiming for the one I had holding the towel, the other aiming for the towel. Seriously, couldn't he just leave me _alone_? "Then let's have a look, shall we?"

I narrowed one eye, irritated, and leaned away slightly. Stupid Kyle didn't take the hint and took my hand so he could move it and the makeshift ice pack. Figuring I'd get this over with faster if I helped him out, I moved my own hand. Also I just didn't want that creep _holding_ it again. It got him off faster, at least. He took hold of his ice pack, let go of my hand, and moved the towel down slightly. Then he leaned in closer to get a better look.

Too close for comfort, you jerk.

Asuka was just looking at us in concern. "Well? How's it looking?" she asked.

"A little better," he answered, then he leaned back and looked me in the eye, taking my hand again as he continued, "But keep that ice on it until the swelling goes down completely." He put my hand back on the towel and slipped his out from beneath it. "Then we can move onto the final stage of your treatment."

Ugh, seriously? Just _leave me alone_!

Once I had a grip on my makeshift ice pack again, he finally let go of me, leaving one hand on his knee.

"Yeah, whatever," I said, still irritated.

Kyle stood up and calmly said, "Good. Alright." He made his way to the construction site as Kenzan put a wet beach towel on Manjoume's sore foot, asking, "Need a hand, guys? Building a house is a pretty big job."

Yeah. And, let me guess: It was another of your many "talents."

Sure enough, Kyle started helping the construction workers, even though he was wearing a suit. Stupid Kyle, with his stupid skills and stupid...

Asuka walked back over to me and sat next to me, looking concerned. "Hey, Judai? You okay? You never act like that with friends. What's wrong?"

Friends, sure. But Kyle?

"Since when's Kyle a friend?" I mumbled incoherently.

Asuka raised an eyebrow at me, and I could tell from her expression she hadn't heard that. Good thing, too. Who knows what could have happened if she had? I mean, regardless of her emotional response, it would lead to a talk or a fight that would just make things between us really, _really_ awkward. "What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said.

She looked at me questioningly, still looking concerned. I didn't want to answer her, seeing as the guy I hated just happened to be her boyfriend. For a second, I wondered if I'd still hate Kyle if he wasn't dating Asuka. Then, remembering how much _everyone_ loved the guy, I answered my own question—yes, I would. Who _likes_ their replacement, after all?


	26. Nobody's Okay

**Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Ryo's POV**

While everyone else was busy building a house or babysitting their friends, I stayed at the villa. As the sun set, I was in the sitting room, the rays of the setting sun lighting up the room. Haruko had taken off for somewhere, too, but I couldn't have cared less where. I didn't know her. Really, there wasn't any reason to be concerned about any of this craziness just then. Fuyuko seemed to have Natsuko's marriage under control, and if Fubuki wanted to build a house in such a ridiculous way, who was I to protest? It wasn't my choice, even if it was a little strange. I was used to that from these guys, anyway. None of that bothered me a bit.

What _did_ worry me right around that time was what Fuyuko brought back with him when he finally returned.

I had expected him to return with Natsuko, possibly on a leash, given how angry he had been at that man. But what he brought back was certainly _not_ that friend of his. In fact, Natsuko didn't seem to be present at all. No, Fuyuko came in carrying Sho, his expression conveying a sense of urgency.

When I asked him what had happened, he headed into Sho's room while telling me that Sho had attacked Ai. He said he had planned on taking him to the hospital, only to find police vehicles and the Misgarthian royal guard.

This sounded bad. I followed him into Sho's room, only one possible cause coming to mind.

I waited patiently until Fuyuko had put Sho in bed, then walked over and helped tuck him in. With Sho tended to, we both left the room, although I stopped in the doorway to keep an eye on Sho. Crossing my arms and leaning against the door frame, I asked, "So you say Sho attacked Ai?"

"Apparently she was attempting, yet again, to take advantage of Judai," Fuyuko answered with a nod.

I had a feeling it was something like that. Getting Sho mad enough to trigger an episode wasn't an easy task. "Really."

"So he attacked her. He, ah...bit her," Fuyuko said, seemingly unnerved. Understandable, given the circumstances. "Repeatedly. While she strangled Judai and clawed at his neck, apparently unaware of what she was doing as she tried to get Sho off her."

I closed my eyes. I had been afraid of that. "Thought so. There's a full moon tonight, isn't there?"

"Yes," Fuyuko answered, and I don't think he understood what that had to do with anything.

I sighed and said, "That's what I was afraid you'd say. See, Sho's one of those guys who needs to stay calm on full moon nights. According to the doctors, if riled up even just a little, something in his brain snaps, and he turns wild. Like a lot of the psychos you only hear about during a full moon. He has medicine to help control it, but..."

"I see," Fuyuko said, and it sounded like he really did.

I didn't want to know how bad Natsuko was.

Instead, I thought about the day Sho was diagnosed with this strange, werewolf-like disease. He'd been being bullied by Gorisuke again and had gone wild all over him. This led to several months in the hospital as doctors tried to find and treat the cause of this unusual behavior. After some extensive study of our family history, the only diagnosis anyone could come up with was something that only affects the second son of a second son of a second son of yet _another_ second son.*

Still sounded like they were telling me my little brother is a werewolf, especially given what some local priests had called it—a "family curse." They tried using talismans and charms to treat it. In the end, the doctors gave him some medicine for temper control and signed him up for anger management classes. Thanks to all of that, he hadn't had an episode in 18 years.

At this point, Sho was very good at controlling himself, so Ai must have done something severe to set him off. Regardless, this needed addressed quickly. It could be dangerous otherwise. I decided to call Sho's doctor and see about getting an exam done. In the meantime, this gave me an idea that might keep Ai away from Judai as long as Sho was around him.

I turned to Fuyuko, conveying the urgency of this matter through my tone and eyes as I said, "Fuyuko. We've got to talk to Ai about this. She needs to know Sho's medical records and that she should watch herself next time or risk having the same thing occur, that is. Sho usually never calms down until the thing that rattled him goes away and he calms down naturally. She might want to be aware to keep her hands off Judai at those times if Sho's around. It could save her life."

Alright so I wasn't being completely honest about that one. Yes, it was true Sho was dangerous when off his meds during a full moon. Yes, it was true you shouldn't anger him then. But I highly doubted Ai would get hurt at all as long as Sho remembered to take his medication. He'd been released from that hospital because he was stable, after all, and he never went back. Today he must have just forgotten to take his medication, probably because of the circumstances, and I'd forgotten to remind him for the same reasons. Too much was going on around here, after all, so neither of us had thought about it. But I would from now on.

No need to tell Fuyuko that, though. Ai needed told to stay away from Judai because she needed to do that anyway. Sho was already angry with her to begin with, and she needed to leave Judai alone already. I was hoping I could deter her with that false warning, making Sho sound worse than he really was. That way, since Sho was almost always with Judai, Ai would be more inclined to avoid him.

"Understood. She's at the hospital now," Fuyuko said.

"Right."

I looked back into Sho's room, concerned. He needed his medicine the moment he woke up, and I was the only one besides Sho who knew where it was. While it was true I needed to talk to Ai as well, I didn't want to leave Sho alone right then in case he woke up raging. At the same time, Ai might tell her guards what had happened, and Sho would be arrested, possibly executed for this. I wasn't sure what to do.

I didn't have long to think about this. About two seconds after I looked at Sho, Fuyuko raised an eyebrow and asked, "Should I go speak with her?"

"I'd appreciate it, thanks," I answered.

"Alright. I'll go talk to her," Fuyuko said before heading out to do that.

"Thanks."

I was grateful Fuyuko had offered to do that. Now I could worry about getting Sho the care he needed without worrying about the royal family of Misgarth sending someone to get him.

I was really starting to respect that man. He was a good man, helping others when they needed it without them even asking. I didn't know too many people like that. Ed, Kyle, Judai... Those were three of the people on my list. They were all good men with kind hearts. Fuyuko was starting to look like one of those.

Regardless of that, this Sho thing had to be addressed right here and now. People might wonder why Sho wasn't hospitalized after hearing that story, so I pulled out my cell to ask Sho's doctor if he could come take a look at Sho. After all, while I saw this as a minor accident caused by forgetting his medicine, I highly doubted anyone else would. And Sho might need seen, anyway, if he was having episodes again after 18 years without them.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Okay, didn't know Sho had _that_ going on. No wonder he didn't want to tell me why he had meds in high school.

Anyway, the guys spent the rest of the day working on that weird house. Well, except for Asuka. Nah, she spent the rest of the day keeping an eye on me and talking to me. I won't complain about that part of this whole mess.

The professionals started putting together a sturdy foundation for this house, but my friends insisted that they leave the first four planks they'd shoved into the ground alone, along with a wooden frame they'd put together. Obviously the construction crew was a little confused by this weird way of marking territory and the wooden frame they couldn't mess with, but they did as they were told and left this stuff as it was. They were told it was important, for some reason. Okay, so _that_ was Manjoume's answer to the "where's Judai gonna sleep" question.

It took forever for the swelling on my neck to go down, apparently proving to everyone that it was really bad. They all got a bit worried, even Manjoume and Akiko. I got the feeling they wanted to take me to the hospital, but, thanks to Ai, that wasn't possible.

I was going to try to stop them from worrying my own way, seeing as I knew that I could withstand more than that without any serious damage—and Manjoume, who'd seen me fly across the beach and slam into the sand, should have known that now, too—but Kyle beat me to the punch. He told them all that we'd have to work with what we had and hope for the best, and that it should go down on its own in time since it was just a swollen neck. It wasn't getting any worse, he said.

Stupid Kyle had done my job for me, and he'd done it so much better than I ever had before. Apparently _his_ confidence that somebody was going to be fine meant more than the opinion of the person who was _actually_ hurt. They all calmed down and went right back to work without a care in the world. Even Asuka calmed down, going back to worrying about my attitude toward her clearly inhuman boyfriend. I mean, nobody that _perfect_ can possibly exist on Earth, right?

I decided to change the subject, not wanting Asuka to worry about my behavior for the rest of the day, but, like any time I tried to get people to stop worrying, it didn't work. She still seemed concerned about it the whole time we sat there talking.

Geez, so Kyle can calm my friends when they're worried, but I can't? That's not even close to fair! It was _me_ they were worried about! Me saying I'm okay should be good enough! Then again, Asuka had recently learned how great I had become at hiding my emotions, so maybe that had something to do with that one...

Either way, the swelling _did_ go down after a few hours, and then perfect _Kyle_ came back over to me to medicate the dumb wound before bandaging it. That was when I learned that Kyle wasn't so perfect, so he must have been human after all. When he tried to bandage my neck, he did it so badly that Kenzan had to redo it.

Once he was done with me, Kyle took his worried girlfriend and headed for the villa. Asuka looked back over her shoulder as she walked away, still concerned about my earlier attitude, even though I'd gotten rid of it hours ago. Unless she was now _looking_ for hidden emotions from me and had noticed that I wasn't happy with her boyfriend...in which case I needed to step up my acting. She didn't need to know I hated the guy. I mean, she was happy, so shouldn't I have been, too?

Fubuki gave me back my stuff around then, too. For some reason, he'd brought it over from Lisa's room and just kept it all day, waiting for Kyle to finish with me. Now that the treatment's done, he told me as he gave me back my jacket and shoes, it should be okay. What sense did _that_ make? Shoes weren't something you wore around your neck, Fubuki! And it wasn't like I ever fastened my jacket, so that wouldn't have been anymore of an issue than the _turtleneck shirt_ I was still wearing.

Soon after that, the sun set marked the end of the day's construction. The tarps were brought over and set up over the whole of it by the professionals at Fubuki's direction.

Manjoume came over to stand beside me, his arms crossed. "Well, there you go, genius. A nice, warm place to spend the night so you don't freeze. Happy now?"

He sounded annoyed, which was pretty much normal for him. After all, that was his default emotion, especially when dealing with me.

Fubuki came over, smiling, and added, "Also I returned your jacket and shoes to you, so that should help, too, right?"

Yeah, thanks for _finally_ giving those back, Fubuki.

"So, Aniki, feeling any better now?" Kenzan asked as he leaned over me, eyeing my neck.

"Yeah, I guess..." I said, giving up on pretending I was fine now that Asuka was gone. Hey, it hadn't been working to begin with, so why keep it up?

Kenzan raised an eyebrow at me as the others all headed back for the villa. Oh, so when I'm _not_ pretending everything's great, they all believe it? Or maybe they were just not going to worry about it since _Kyle_ said I'd be fine.

Well, except for Kenzan. He asked me, "Say, Aniki, you okay?"

Whoops. Worrying somebody again. Kenzan sat down beside me while the construction crew finished covering up their work.

"Yeah, fine," I answered. I mean, everybody loved Kyle, so why shouldn't I? Just because he seemed like he was everybody's new favorite thing didn't mean that I needed to be upset about it. Even if some of those guys only started hanging out with each other because of me. Man, Kyle seriously seemed like the new me.

"Come on, Aniki, who you trying to kid?"

Funny, you guys used to be easy to fool.

"I can already see that you're not, so what's going on?"

Well, if you could tell I wasn't okay, why did you ask if I was okay? Wouldn't asking what's wrong have made more sense?

"Are you worried about Ai? 'Cause, judging from what Natsuko said went down—"

Was he serious?

"Really? You seriously think Ai's the only problem I've got in life?" I asked, giving him a lame look.

Kenzan looked surprised, which was really annoying, all things considered. "I never said that, Aniki."

"Then how come you always think she's the problem?" I asked. I mean, come on! _Everybody_ was doing that! I _did_ have other things to worry about besides when my stalker was going to crawl out from under her rock again!

"Well, she _is_ a pretty big one right now, isn't she? She's why we're all here, after all. Why? What other problems are you facing right now? Just find out you're adopted?" he teased.

Okay, yeah, that would have been an earth-shattering reveal. I laughed and said, "No. More girl problems, that's all."

Kenzan looked curious and concerned. He really didn't seem to get what my other "girl problem" could be besides Ai. Well, I know I didn't exactly go out of my way to tell everyone about my crush, but was it really that hard to tell? Hadn't _he_ been the one who decided Asuka and I should be partners for that Pair Duel tournament during the graduation party?

"Are you sure it's not Ai, then? She's the only girl you're having problems with right now, right?"

Well, there you go! Kenzan _didn't_ get it. Why was I trying to explain it?

"Not quite..." I muttered.

"Huh? What was that? Are you telling me there's another? Who is it?" Totally Clueless asked.

I shook my head and said, "There aren't a lot of other girls around that I know, are there?"

Kenzan crossed his arms, thinking about it. Really? He had to _think_ about it? "Well, no, not really. There's Ai, Akiko, Haruko, Lisa, Junko, and Asuka. Which one are you mad at? Well, besides Ai, that is."

Annoyed, I snapped, "I'm not mad at any of them!"

Did I really need to be _mad_ at a girl to have problems with her?

Kenzan cringed away from me, saying, "Okay!" He straightened back up and asked, "Then what _is_ going on? You said earlier that you were getting over someone and that you—" He gasped, his eyes widening as the gears finally started turning. Took him long enough. "Y-you don't mean—" His eyes were now wide in concern.

There we go! Finally! Seriously, Ai wasn't my only problem. For proof, here's a list: Asuka's not-quite-perfect boyfriend, my regrets involving that, Kyle replacing me in everyone's lives, whatever was wrong with Sho, Johan's stupidity, Jim's abandonment... Get the picture? So why did my friends always jump to _Ai_? Did they even know me at all?

...You know, come to think of it, I didn't want an answer to that one.

"Yeah..." I said, answering Kenzan's unfinished question.

If possible, Kenzan's eyes widened even more, and he gave a start at my answer. "B-but I thought that ended over six years ago! Are you telling me it _didn't_!?"

And now he was looking at me like he couldn't believe what I was saying. Great.

"...I've been thinking it did since she didn't seem interested, but..." I shook my head as I tried to figure out how to say this. "Guess finding out she's got a boyfriend brought it up again..."

Kenzan looked nothing but concerned now as he said, "Aniki...you need help. You're seriously dwelling on the past 'cause of that? You know, where I come from, we call that obsessed."

Thanks for the input, Kenzan. That totally made the feelings go away and fixed all my regrets!

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Oh, man. You _really_ need to get over that already!"

So you just said.

He gave me a gentle and sympathetic look that made me feel like a wimp and said, "So what say you and I go find you a nice, tall, attractive dueling companion bright and early tomorrow? Sound good?"

Well, not really, but I _did_ need to stop wasting my time being jealous of a guy who had what I never would, especially considering the answer to getting me off that dumb island was to get a girlfriend. In other words, probably sounded about right.

I looked down, not too thrilled. "...Yeah..."

Kenzan put a hand on my shoulder. Clearly he understood the problem now. "It'll be okay, Aniki. You'll see."

Feeling like a broken record, I said, "Yeah."

My vocabulary had shrunk a lot in the last two minutes.

Kenzan patted my shoulder and stood up. "Well, good night, Aniki. Hope tomorrow's a better day for you."

Please, when you're trapped on a tropical island with a crazed stalker who probably wants to have both your best friends arrested and executed _and_ your old crush is hanging around _with_ her new boyfriend, no day is "better."

My lack of an answer made Kenzan look at me sadly, so I guess I should have said something. After another moment, he said, "Night," then joined the construction workers in leaving for the night.

I sat there a bit longer, thinking about my stupid jealousy complex, sniffling every now and then because of that dumb cold. Finally I headed over to the tent/construction site that my friends had put together.

 _"_ _Judai, seriously,"_ Yubel said in my head. _"Even your friends know when it ended. Drop it already. It's your own fault, you know. You never told her you liked her, and then you—"_

"I know!" I snapped, cutting her off. "But it's not like I had a reason to since she said I'd betrayed her, right?"

 _"_ _Ever the idiot,"_ she said as if _I_ were the annoying one. _"Did you always let words keep you from telling people things they needed to know?"_

I looked down, thinking of what I'd done to them. What they'd all gone through because of me. "I had no right..."

 _"_ _So? I didn't either, and yet_ I _still did. Why couldn't you have?"_

Because I wasn't as forceful as her?

First rule for a peaceful life with the duel spirit you're fused with: Don't ever tell her something like that. My answer, instead, was, "...I don't know..."

I climbed around the obstacle course-like construction site, looking for this "warm place to spend the night" Manjoume had mentioned. More specifically, I was looking for that random square they'd set up for no apparent reason. When I found it, it was definitely big enough to sleep in, meaning the tarp-covered construction site was meant as my temporary home and this wooden frame with a sand floor was my bed. Geez, guys, you _had_ to have been building this thing because of me. Saying it was for Natsuko was a cover-up, although he clearly wouldn't mind having a house on the beach.

As I crawled in to sleep, Yubel answered her own question, sounding like she'd taken classes on attitude from Manjoume as she said, _"'Cause you're stupid. That's why. But that's all in the past, so I say forget about it and get on with your life. You can't go chasing after her forever, can you? Or are you like Ai now? Persistent and stubborn. And clearly can't take a hint, either. Take Kenzan's advice and accept his offer to send you on a blind date. Who knows? You might meet someone better."_

Part way through that, Yubel switched over to a neutral tone, which was about as close as she ever came to sounding gentle or caring—unless I was having a breakdown, like the other day, anyway. Either way, if Yubel was concerned enough about me to be gentle, I must have been embarrassingly bad. It was clear she was right—I needed to grow up already. Asuka was happy with Kyle; who was I to complain? It _was_ my fault I'd never said anything. There were other girls out there, and maybe there _was_ someone around I'd like more.

With that in mind, I answered, "Yeah, okay."

 _"_ _Good. Guess I'll see ya in the morning, then. Night."_ And she dove deeper into our mind to sleep.

I lay down in the sand to sleep, too, trying to get my brain to stop focusing on stupid Kyle.

* * *

 **Jim's POV**

I couldn't believe it. I just _couldn't believe_ it. How could Johan have done something like that? What was he thinking? Or _was_ he thinking?

Because of the delay caused by Johan looking for a disguise so he wouldn't be _arrested_ , we caught the last flight to Mexico at the airport, and we'd still need to change planes when we got back to Mexico, so, not accounting for flight delays, I reckoned we might make it back to the Isle of the Maiden at around 4 in the morning.

I was sitting between the two of them in coach, with Johan to my right. Not that anyone could tell from looking at him. The bloke had improved his disguise quite a bit. If I hadn't been with him all day, I wouldn't have known it was him. He'd gotten a new outfit, visited a salon, and even got himself some colored contacts. Seeing as some other bloke has already told me _he_ wants the honor of describing this new look, I won't spoil it for you. The point is, Johan clearly wasn't "him" at the time.

I was still highly concerned, wondering if Johan had lost his head. He'd really made a blue, attacking Ai that way. Crikey, I wouldn't be surprised to hear he was wanted in just about every country. "I still can't believe you attacked her, mate! Why on Earth did you do that? Didn't you think she'd retaliate somehow?"

Only a drongo wouldn't, after all.

Johan sounded annoyed when he answered. I suppose he would. I mean, we'd been getting up him all day after we'd heard about it. "Yeah, yeah. What was I supposed to do? She was gonna kidnap Judai! And he _clearly_ wasn't gonna fight her off in _that_ weakened state!"

Rei leaned around me to look at Johan, curious and concerned, and said, "Remind me again. What was wrong with him that caused that? Something about Asuka hating him?"

Johan sweat, looking awkward and uncomfortable. I couldn't blame him, considering what we'd heard the other night. "Well, uh, that's...complicated..." He turned to me and, desperate, said, "A little help here, Jim?"

"Well, after Judai ran off without saying goodbye, Asuka was resentful of him," I said, deciding to tell Rei what I knew of the situation. "She didn't understand how he could do that to his friends, so, yeah, she hated him deep down. Even she didn't quite realize it."

I felt like chucking a wobbly thinking about it—not only did Asuka hate Judai, but Judai had learned about this _on his own_ by _eavesdropping_ on her and Kyle! At least, that's what Johan had told me. I hoped it wasn't true. Judai hadn't sounded that bad on the phone, but he had a tendency to cover up his feelings these days, so that didn't mean much. And that was all we needed, too! Asuka was in trouble, Sho was a mess, and Judai already had enough problems without learning about Asuka's feelings on his own!

Rei sat back, closing her eyes with a smug smile. "Ha! I knew I was better. _I_ didn't care!"

Well, it seemed Rei might have had an idea as to why Judai took off without a word that year. Whether it was right or wrong, I couldn't say, but she clearly didn't hate him for it. If she did, she wouldn't have been sitting by the window on a plane bound for Mexico.

She opened her eyes again and gave us both a serious look as she said, "So let me guess. She finally told someone, having figured it out herself, and Judai overheard it."

Johan closed his eyes and crossed his arms as he angrily said, "From what I could gather, yes."

I really couldn't blame him for being angry. After all, one friend with issues hurt _another_ friend with issues with her words. If Asuka had really done that, then that phone call I'd gotten suddenly made more sense. Judai had sounded like he thought I had abandoned him when he found out I was with Johan.

Suddenly I was thinking of the _other_ time I had left Judai alone when he was upset. You know, since I wasn't given the chance to give my input in the Duel Academy Adventures books, here's my take on Haou.

Judai was a mess through that whole thing, but his intentions were pure. He just wanted to get everyone out of that mess, and he didn't want any of us getting hurt. After the others were sacrificed, I should have known he'd need some attention, but I went after Sho when he ran off. I thought Judai would be okay, or that O'Brien would take care of him, or that it wouldn't take long to get Sho to calm down and come back. Unfortunately, for a tiny bloke, he was quick, and I lost him.

The next time I saw Judai, he wasn't acting quite himself. I had hoped it was just because he was upset about how things were going, but that didn't turn out to be it. Judai had been enough of a mess that he was possessed by his own power, his dark side, you could say. That time, I'd had a mystical eyepiece that could save him. However, after Judai was saved in Dark World, it had shattered. I didn't know if Haou _could_ take over again, but I wanted to get back quickly, just in case. Couldn't let that happen again when we couldn't stop him, after all. Especially not on our home world.

Blast it, Johan, why'd you have to delay us for so long!?

Rei smiled, just radiating confidence. "Well, he doesn't have to worry about that anymore! I'll be his friend!" She gave a bit of a mischievous grin with her next words, clenching a fist. "I'll always love him, too, so she can just take a hike. He's all mine now."

Hoo, boy. I'd already been over this with her countless times. I'd pretty much spent the whole day getting up _somebody_. And it was looking like I should do it again before we landed. I didn't want her coming on too strong and scaring Judai off, after all. He _needed_ her this time!

"Right," I said. "Uh, Rei...try to tone down on the love for awhile, alright? I don't think Judai's going to be too happy with you if you try calling yourself his girlfriend too soon. Keep in mind that he's got a stalker right now and won't be too thrilled to have you coming on strong, too."

Now Rei looked annoyed. "Yeah, yeah. I got it. Don't worry. I'll be on my _best_ behavior, okay?"

Oh, she was annoyed, alright. Made sense. Johan and I had _both_ been telling her that a lot that day.

We entered Mexican skies right about then. Hopefully we'd get back to the island before Judai did something he'd regret.

* * *

 **Ai's POV**

Oh, my goodness! I didn't know I did _that_ much damage to Judai! Now I feel terrible!

Anyway, I spent the night at the hospital getting stitches and tetanus shots. The doctor decided to hold me over for a few days for observation and the like.

To my surprise, one of my visitors immediately after treatment was that Fuyuko man. Not one of Judai's friends, but he _did_ seem to be working his way into the group. What on Earth could he want with me?

"How are you feeling, Ai?" he asked, apparently starting off with pleasantries. "Are you up for conversation?"

"I suppose so," I answered, wondering where this was going.

He walked into my room and stood by my bed, saying, "I'd like to apologize for Sho. However, I've done some research on him that should help explain what happened. I hope this will dissuade you from pressing charges."

As he spoke, he handed me a manila envelope, which turned out to contain Sho's medical records. How he had gotten his hands on those was a mystery to me.

"What is this?" I asked, curious now.

"Apparently, as a child, Sho was diagnosed with a mental condition. During a full moon, he turns into a maniac if provoked. His brother says he's lethal when he has one of these episodes as he won't calm down until what has angered him is gone and he's had a _chance_ to calm down. As you have learned first-hand, his...episodes are rather violent."

I looked through the papers, stunned by what I was seeing. It matched up with what Fuyuko was saying, and it didn't appear to be a forgery. I couldn't believe that there was actually a condition that made someone act like a werewolf!

"Well, with that in mind, I'll certainly be wary of Sho during the full moon." Never thought I'd say those words in a sentence. "Don't worry, I won't press charges. However, Sho will need to be brought in for an examination to see if, perhaps, a stronger medication wouldn't benefit him."

Fuyuko nodded, accepting my terms. "Excellent idea, as this condition _is_ more common in Central and South America. Granted, they _do_ sometimes claim that the person actually turns _into_ a werewolf..."

Why didn't he seem as disturbed by that idea as he should have? If people really think that somebody turns into a werewolf, isn't there something wrong? Then again, with the world we lived in, it shouldn't have surprised me to hear there _were_ real werewolves running around.

"Yes, well, just take care of it, alright?"

"Understood. I'll let the Kaiser know that Sho is not in trouble as long as he sees someone about a stronger medication."

"Good," I said, nodded. "See that you do."

Fuyuko took a step back and said, "I'll let you get some rest, then, Ai. I wish you a speedy recovery."

And he left. So polite, too. Not like Manjoume. I suppose there _are_ still some well-mannered men in the world.

* * *

 ***Sho's condition in this thing is based off werewolf stories I've heard involving the "curse" affecting certain members of a family, like the 7th son of a 7th son. These stories took place in the Americas, hence Fuyuko's comment to Ai.**


	27. Morning Misunderstandings

**Shadgirl2: Sorry for the wait. It's been crazy.**

 **Midna: This chapter was ready awhile ago, but I forgot to get it to Shadgirl2 when I was done editing it.**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.**

* * *

 **Jim's POV**

When we made it to the Isle of the Maiden, it was nearly sunrise. We made our way straight to the beach, knowing full well that Judai'd be there. After all, it wasn't like he had much of a choice these days. However, the sight that met our eyes was...a little dodgy, to say the least.

For whatever reason, there was something covered in a tarp. I didn't know what to make of it, but it seemed as if somebody was building or storing something on the public beach. I really wasn't sure I wanted to know what was going on now.

We stood and stared, discussing this unusual sight.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

I heard voices early in the morning, which is what woke me up. Hey, I'd become a light sleeper with recent events. The voices I heard...well, I only recognized two, but the two I knew both sounded like friends. The real question was who was the third.

"I don't know, y'all," asked the unfamiliar deep voice in a heavy Southern American accent. "Must be some sort of construction site. What it's doin' way out _here_ of all places, I couldn't tell ya."

Seriously, who _was_ that?

"What are those crazy Tenjoins up to?" a female voice asked. It sounded...a little like Rei, only older, which made sense seeing as it had been six years since I'd last seen her. She'd be around 20 by now, so...

I groaned, seeing as the chatter woke me up, and crawled out from under the tarp, getting to my feet. What I found there was Jim with a tall, attractive, vaguely familiar girl and...a cowboy? I mean, he was wearing cowboy boots and a 10-gallon hat over his dark brown hair. His faded jeans were a bit tattered, and he was wearing flannel. And people thought I wasn't dressed for the weather. Did _anybody_ come to this beach _dressed_ for the beach? Also, the cowboy had a gun holster with two guns, which seemed like one too many to me, and a lasso slung over his shoulder, as if he was expecting a loose cow or horse to turn up on this Mexican beach.

So who was the freckled cowboy? Why was he dressed like a cowboy? And who was the near-fashion model standing next to him? Could she really be...

The cowboy smiled warmly, tipping his hat. Well, his brown eyes were friendly, if nothing else. At least he didn't look like he was going to shoot me. "Mornin', partner! Didn't expect to find ya in a place like this. What's up?"

Did we know each other? He was acting like we did. But I thought I'd remember a gun-toting, lasso-wielding cowboy. And why was he with Jim and what I could only guess was Rei? What was this, the Twilight Zone?

I decided to focus on the one I knew first. At least, the one I was pretty sure I knew. Looking at the woman, I asked, "Rei?"

She was looking great, that was for sure. But I hadn't forgotten that she was also kind of a stalker. Granted, she wasn't as bad as Ai. All she'd done was sneak into the school, enroll in my dorm, and flirt with me relentlessly for a year. But still...

Why did Jim go to Utah to get her? And what did Jim do, trade Johan out for a cowboy? Where was Johan at now? What the hell was going on around here!?

I shook that off and turned my attention back to the woman in front of me. She'd only been about 14 the last time I'd seen her, and she'd aged well. She was maybe two inches shorter than me, her dark hair flowing down her back all the way to her hips. Word of advice to all the girls reading this: Red high heels aren't exactly a good choice on the beach. Yet, somehow, Rei made it work, along with a red sleeveless dress that went down to her knees and a matching purse. She was standing there looking like a model, making me wonder if she'd gone into that after graduation.

She smiled at me, looking a lot less excited than she usually did. She didn't even try to pounce me in a hug, which wasn't normal for her. Granted, it was a welcome change. She was a lot less unnerving when she wasn't lunging at me all the time. "Hi, Judai. How are you?" she asked.

Judai. Rei had just called me Judai. Not Judai-sama, like she always had before. Weird.

"Uh, I'm okay," I said, feeling a bit awkward at having just come crawling out of a construction site. I mean, who _does_ that? Sleeping in a construction site isn't even _safe_! "What about you?"

This was embarrassing.

Rei's expression lit up, which told me that she was still in there somewhere. She sounded perky when she answered, "Pretty good, actually! Thanks for asking! So? Word on the street's that you've got yourself a stalker. Anything I can do to help?"

She didn't even try to touch me then. She knew about Ai but didn't sound angry or jealous, and she didn't flat-out tell me to be her boyfriend to get out of this mess. She wasn't even calling me by her usual title! Surely Jim wasn't the type of guy who'd bring her here without telling her what I "needed" a girl for. So she had come to help, but wasn't acting like she was interested in me. Was this _really_ the same Rei? She was acting totally different!

Well, maybe she'd just grown up. Admittedly, if Rei had outgrown her own stalker tendencies, it could work out... Asuka was already taken, and I didn't exactly want to stay on that island forever.

Couldn't hurt to ask.

"Uh... That depends... Are you single?" I asked, feeling awkward.

This was, apparently, hilarious. Yubel burst out laughing. Admittedly, she had a couple of really good reasons. First, I'd just come damn close to asking Rei out, and she was another known stalker, having crept into the Kaiser's room disguised as a boy before she decided to switch over to me. Second, she _did_ match Kenzan's description of a date to find in the morning perfectly. Tall, attractive, and a good duelist.

Come to think of it, had Kenzan figured that Rei would be here by then? Had he _seen_ her recently? Either way, Yubel clearly thought I was desperate, going for my first stalker just to get away from my _worse_ stalker. That, or she thought I was completely stupid.

Rei blinked, looking confused instead of excited. She seemed like she couldn't believe I'd asked that. Maybe she _had_ grown up. "What?"

The cowboy stepped forward, getting between Rei and me, putting a hand to his chest as he demanded, "And what am I? Chopped liver? I didn't go through all this here trouble for nothin', ya know."

...Okay, why did he sound offended? Was I supposed to know him?

I just looked at him for a second, totally lost and wondering if I had a male stalker now, too, before I asked, "Who are you?"

Jim grinned a bit, as if he already knew. Was he in on the joke? Did Jim just run into an old friend of his and decide to bring him into this? Wasn't it bad enough that Natsuko had called his sister and best friend in to help with this mess? Or Asuka bringing her near-perfect _boyfriend_ along? Was there a reason all my friends seemed to think it was a good idea to keep bringing total strangers into my problem? And would I ever run out of questions?

Well, that last one was easy to answer—probably not. I mean, look at the weird crap that was going on all around me.

"Well?" Jim asked, teasing his cowboy friend. "Who _are_ you, mate?"

The cowboy still sounded offended when he answered, "Aw, come on! Ya seriously don't recognize me, partner?" He put a hand to his chin, sweating, as he added, "Well, I guess ya wouldn't, all things considered."

Yeah, no duh! I didn't know any cowboys with deep voices! He sweat, rubbing his head as he looked to the left, then the right. What was his deal? Was I seriously supposed to recognize somebody I'd never met? And what was he looking for, exactly?

Then he showed how nuts he was—he lunged at me, saying, "Come here!"

He grabbed my shoulders and dove back under the tarp with me. We landed with me lying on my back, a crazy cowboy on top of me.

Yep, I had a guy for a stalker now. Great.

* * *

 **Rei's POV**

Well, that was confusing. What on Earth was Johan doing!? I knew they were close, but were they really _that_ close? If so, what was I even doing here? If Judai already had a boyfriend, why did he need a girlfriend? Was that spell really so picky that it didn't acknowledge same-sex relationships? That wasn't exactly fair.

I turned a stunned look on Jim, hoping he could tell me just what was going on here. "What was that about?"

I heard nothing more than Judai finding out exactly who had pounced him before the two started whispering, too quiet for me to make out anything else. Jim, for his part, just looked amused, as if this were an interesting show.

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

The first thing my newest stalker did after dragging me back in was get off me and kneel beside me instead. Okay, that was reassuring. Maybe he _wasn't_ a new stalker. He just _really_ wanted some privacy, for some reason.

The cowboy reached into a black deck box strapped around his waist, one I hadn't seen earlier because of the guns, and pulled out a deck. Silently, he handed it to me. I took the deck, totally lost, then looked through it. Crystal Beasts. But...those were a one-of-a-kind deck that only belonged to one duelist, and he wasn't a brown-eyed, freckled cowboy. Wait a minute, Johan had been dragging Jim and Rei around in Utah... Johan said he couldn't come back... This cowboy knew Jim...

Oh, geez, this cowboy wasn't a cowboy at all!

"...Johan!?"

He raised a finger to his lips in a hushing gesture, his expression serious. "Shh! Not so loud! You want me to get caught?"

I gave his outfit a once-over, thinking of it in comparison to Johan's usual style, then smirked. "Nice getup."

He closed his eyes and grinned, looking proud. Either he was humoring me, or he actually liked it. "Thanks. I thought it was. Keeps me safe from Ai so long as I'm wearing it. I got the idea from this girl I met, and, well..." He rubbed his head and blushed, looking off to the side.

...Was that look what I thought it was? Johan met a girl he liked thanks to this insanity? Well, that was great timing. Still, Johan deserved someone who'd make him happy. I just hoped it would work out with him and his mystery girl. Hopefully she'd like him, too. Hell, hopefully they'd swapped numbers.

I started counting as Johan just sat there, thinking of his girl. Fifteen seconds later, he shook his head and got back on track, clenching a fist in his face as he said, "Point is, I'm back and ready to help you with whatever you need! But I'm not Johan anymore, okay?" He winked, smiling at me.

So we were back to my original question. "Then who _are_ you?"

He held out a hand, still smiling. "The name's Jesse! Nice to meet ya, partner!"

I grinned and shook his hand, saying, "Nice to meet you, 'Jesse!'"

"Jesse" let go then and looked at me, apparently concerned. "Great. Now that that's settled, I couldn't help but notice the barrier's moved again. Care to fill me in?"

Before I could answer, Rei's annoyed voice asked, "Uh, you two about done in there, Jesse? 'Cause, if your closet games are over, I'd like to get back to what we were doing please?"

Either Jesse didn't hear, or he decided not to answer. Couldn't blame him. I mean, come on, closet games? What was she trying to say? Anyway, Johan—er, Jesse—ignored her, so I figured I might as well answer him. Who cared what Rei thought?

"Okay, so Asuka talked to me about what I overheard because, apparently, Kyle talked to her about it, and she figured out why I ran off that day, so we worked that out, and she let me stay in her room, and that got Ai suspicious when Junko woke up screaming, so Ai moved the barrier."

Ever wonder how much you can say before you need to breathe?

Jesse's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, ya were _where_?" he asked, stunned.

"Hello?" Rei asked, sounding like she was wondering if we even heard her.

Aw, geez, he was getting the wrong idea! I had to correct _that_ one. Couldn't have him thinking Asuka was cheating on her dumb boyfriend, especially since Johan probably loved the guy as much as everyone else I knew.

"Yeah, but don't tell anyone," I said quietly. "I'm not sure if the others know. Besides, nothing happened."

His eyes bugged out at those words. I reexamined what I had just said, and I felt like an idiot. That...didn't come out right.

"N-nothin'—Are ya sayin' y'all were in bed _together_!? Aw, man! What were ya thinkin', partner? You can't go around hookin' up with—"

Crap, Johan, could you be a little louder? I think there's a chance they didn't hear you at the villa!

* * *

 **Rei's POV**

Well, with that in mind, you can imagine what I was thinking right about then. The two had gone under there for some privacy, but I was hearing every word now! And what Johan was saying sounded totally crazy! Judai had been in _bed_ with someone else!? Then what was I even doing here!? And why was it so wrong for Judai to be doing that? Sure, it was out of character for him and completely unexpected, considering what was going on, but Johan was acting like it was a crime!

Very much confused, I turned to Jim again, now a bit disturbed. I mean, _Judai_ in bed with anyone just wasn't normal.

"What are they talking about, Jim?" I asked.

Judai's response just made things worse.

"Hey, I was wondering what _she_ was doing! But we were both dressed, and she said she was just keeping me warm because I caught a cold."

Yeah, okay, that sounded too much like a defense to be anything but. And that could only mean one thing. I was wasting my time _again_ on a guy who just wasn't interested. Seriously, why was I here? And why'd he ask me if I was single if he already _had_ someone? Oh, this was just rude and insulting! My Judai had never been that shallow! Or maybe he had, and I just hadn't noticed. Maybe he _was_ just interested in hot girls and hadn't liked me back then because I was a little kid!

Ooh, that man! I needed to confront him about this one ASAP. After all, if the only reason he asked me that was because I was a beautiful woman now, there was absolutely _no_ point in staying here. I like nice guys, after all.

I lifted the tarp, catching both of them by surprised. Jesse looked at me, his eyes wide in shock, probably from his discovery. Judai looked pretty shocked, too. Well, gee, wonder why? After all, a total player caught in the act _was_ a bit _surprising_ , don't you think?

* * *

 **Judai's POV**

Oh, crap. Now _I'd_ gotten too loud. Shit.

Rei glared at me and said, "Hey. What's all this about sleeping with another girl? And you're asking _me_ out now? What's the deal?"

She seemed mad, maybe even insulted. Aw, shit! Thanks, Johan, I totally needed more problems. She seemed to think I was cheating on my girlfriend (which I could only _wish_ was true).

"Like I said, she claimed she was keeping me warm!" I defended myself, wanting to avoid this misunderstanding.

Rei closed her eyes, looking disappointed. As she shook her head, I got the feeling she didn't believe me. "Judai, Judai, Judai. You've _definitely_ got a lot to learn." She opened her eyes and looked at me, a lot calmer now. Okay, so maybe she just thought I was an idiot. That I could handle. It wouldn't be the first time somebody thought that. "See, when a girl says stuff like that after climbing into bed with you, it typically means she wants you but is either too shy to admit it or has another reason not to. So, in other words, you were _this_ close to making love with her, and you didn't even know it." She held her hand up, her thumb and index finger just millimeters apart. Then she put her hands on her hips and gave me that stern look again as she asked, "So, who was it? This other girl, that is."

Whoa, wait, did Rei just say that _Asuka_ was seconds away from banging me? But Asuka doesn't _do_ that! She had a boyfriend, for one thing, and she wasn't the type to trick a guy, unlike Ai! Besides, she didn't even try anything. All she did was go to sleep, holding onto me. I mean, sure, she was holding me, but that didn't mean anything! Nothing at all happened except a whole lot of snoring!

"Asuka. Who has a boyfriend, so don't go getting my hopes up, Rei," I said, wanting to defend my friend from that unfair accusation.

Rei started, her eyes popping out of her head like Johan—er, Jesse. Even Jim looked startled. "Y-you didn't! Oh, Judai!" Another glare from Rei, along with a scolding finger in my face. "Shame on you! And you _knew_ this, too!? That just makes it even worse! Why, if that had been me, I'd—"

Great, we were back to the "Judai's a dirty, rotten pervert with no morals" attitude. I shook my head, not happy at the accusation. It was almost as bad as having my friends say I'd betrayed them in Dark World. I mean, come on! That wouldn't have been fair to Asuka! Sure, I liked her, but she was happy with Kyle! I didn't have any right to go messing that up!

"Rei! That's not what was going on! Okay?" I cut her off.

I just wished everyone would stop misreading every move I made, especially considering I hadn't _made_ that move! Well, at least Jesse would believe me.

He sweat, looking awkward. Sounding concerned and gentle, he started, "Uh, partner, not to be rude, but—"

Wait, did he _agree_ with her? Okay, so what was I supposed to do? Jump out of the bed and insist that one of us sleep on the floor? Asuka had needed rest that night, too, so that wouldn't have helped either of us! She'd have kept fighting me over it!

"Ugh..." I put a hand to my head, sick of this misunderstanding. "Just cut it out, alright!?"

At least Jim wouldn't jump me, I hoped. He didn't look too happy with this conversation, and I was hoping it was because he understood what I was trying to say.

"They've got a point, mate," Jim said, solidifying this misunderstanding as a cause for problems between me and my friends. I mean, if the ones who hadn't turned on me after Dark World thought I'd messed up, how would the others react if _they_ heard it? "I mean—"

I didn't want to hear it. I got out of that construction site and ran off. Clearly they didn't know Asuka _or_ me if they were thinking that was some kind of perverted, cheating action. Asuka wasn't interested in me, anyway. That wasn't even fair! And I wasn't the one who told her to get in bed with me!

Rei yelled angrily after me, "Judai! Come back here! Hey!"

Yeah, like I was going to go back and get yelled at for something I hadn't had any say in that had been _completely platonic._

* * *

 **Jim's POV**

Alright, I suppose that puts it into perspective. Figures Judai'd think that. He always has been naive.

Either way, I'd just heard that Asuka had made Judai sleep in the same bed as her. Admittedly, he _did_ look a little under the weather, as if he was getting over something. But was that _really_ why Tomorrow-Girl had been sleeping with him? Given how she'd once felt about Judai, I doubted it. And Judai was really upset now because of it. At the time, I didn't know exactly why, so I didn't know what to do about it.

Rei stamped her foot, glaring after Judai. I thought it was pretty brave of her to stamp her high heels into the sand on this beach. "Man. That _guy_. Come on. We better go talk to Asuka. She's got some serious nerve, taking advantage of him like that." She gave a humph and started storming off toward the villa.

So many mounting problems, I wasn't sure which ones were worse. Judai was upset _again_ ; Rei was about to get up on Asuka for behaving that way; Asuka _did_ do that, even though she claimed she was happy with Kyle; and then there was Johan's crazy plan.

That deserves some attention because that was a major concern of mine right about then. He wouldn't tell me exactly what he was planning, which made me worry that it wasn't exactly legal. From the little he had said about it, my worries only grew worse. He mentioned something about giving Ai a taste of her own medicine. She was a stalker and a rapist. Now you know why I was worried! There were enough problems on this island without Johan deciding to become a raping stalker, too!

Even worse, those were just the _newest_ problems. There was also the stalker love triangle debacle with Manjoume, Haruko, and Fuyuko. There was Sho's hatred of Asuka. And, the last I'd heard, Asuka hated Judai and he had found out. With that in mind, what were the two of them doing sharing a bed? From what Johan had told me about that mess, it had sounded like Judai had been on the verge of suicide!

The more I thought about it, the more dodgy the whole thing felt. Even Judai sleeping in a construction site made no sense.

Jesse gave me a serious yet guilty look. I could imagine why. After all, he was here to help Judai, but his plan wouldn't let him do that in one of the usual ways. Jesse didn't know any of us, after all, so there was no reason for him to go near Judai. He planned on going it alone in dealing with the Ai issue directly, which left the rest of us to deal with Judai's issues. Needless to say, that meant I'd most likely be carrying all the weight, considering how the other blokes in our group felt. None of them even knew half of what was going on with Judai since Dark World, so they weren't likely to understand now without a rather lengthy explanation.

"Well, good luck with that, partner," Jesse said. "I'm gonna go put my plan into motion. See y'all around!" With that, he ran off toward the resort, waving back at me with a sad smile.

And now I was left with a problem. Judai was alone and upset, but I couldn't possibly begin to help without finding out what was going on in the first place. There wasn't anyone else who _could_ try to help Judai right now, though, so that left me in a tight spot. It wasn't like I could just call someone up and ask them to go after Judai, after all. Why did I always get stuck in these situations?

Thinking about it logically, I figured Judai was never alone anymore since he'd fused his soul with Yubel. With that in mind, I decided to trust her to take care of him while I went to the villa to try and get some answers. After all, I couldn't help Judai without knowing what was going on. And so, I left Judai alone once again, hoping this wouldn't be a mistake, while I followed Rei and tried to get to the bottom of things.


End file.
